Tale as Old as Time
by Wolfie 03
Summary: Blake is unsure of what the White Fang have been doing of late but can't bring herself to leave the only home she has. Yang has allowed her temper to control her life and is now suffering from the consequences. Can they save each other from the pit they've fallen into? Can beauty tame the beast? RWBY AU, pairing YangxBlake Mild Adult Theme, mild cursing, mild darker tone
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: Hello! Welcome to this Alternate Universe version of Remnant! I've wanted to do more RWBY stories but couldn't decide what. But then the last three episodes of Vol. 6 happened and I couldn't stop myself from writing this. As a heads up, I imagine that at the beginning of the whole series, Ruby was 15, and the other three were 17 or so. This is some of the reasoning for why certain things happen. The world is roughly the same as in the show, except Salem isn't on the move. Beacon hasn't/will not fall. But I wanted to focus on some of the parallels they were drawing with the characters and so here we go! (Sorry for the long intro).**

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Blake enjoyed working at the Vale Library. It was moderately large, being seven stories tall, and housed a vast array of books on every topic imaginable. The building was made of dark red brick and dull steel, providing strength without being too much of an eyesore for the neighborhood. But being so large, and still relatively sought out, they needed all the help they could get. Which Blake was more than happy to give, as it gave her something to do during the day as a reason for being in the city. It also provided some solace from the rest of her life…

As the young teen realized where her mind started to wander, she shook her head, relaxing her entire body and feeling her ears twitch under the large black bow she wore. Looking at what she was holding, her stance loosened further as she remembered what the book held within its cover. A story about far away places, daring sword fights, magic, and even a prince in disguise. Truly an adventure to take one's mind away from their worldly woes. She was so lost in remembrance that when several books fell over nearby, it was as loud as a gun shot through the second floor of the library.

Instinct took over and the Faunus crouched low, forgetting her surroundings and dropping the book in her hands, sending her jumping into the air again as it too landed with a loud thud. Steadying hands prevented her from knocking anything else over luckily.

"Sorry about that…" The voice, soft but still a happy medium pitch, helped to identify her savior as the tall blonde beauty who started to work on the same level as her that day. "I, uh, got-got lost in, uh, in… Forgot…" The taller girl tried to gesture with her hands towards Blake but the motion turned into more random movements as she floundered.

The taller girl wore a brown jacket that showed off both midriff and space for her yellow undershirt to show through, highlighting some of her assets. She also wore short black shorts, causing the cat girl to wonder if it even had pockets. It put her own white shirt and pants with black overlaying parts to shame.

Blake felt a swell of amusement at the sight and giggled. The other teen trailed off at the sound. Tiny smile on her face, the cat Faunus reached for the book she dropped, ducking besides the returns cart she was working from. On the other side, half a foot from the edge of the metal movable shelving, were the other dropped books. The blonde went for them roughly the same time Blake did. They both stood upright roughly the same time, watching each other as they remained in place. They stared at one another, grings almost breaking through at the odd moment. Suddenly, Blake's sensitive hearing picking up the sound of rapid footsteps. She checked their surroundings and spotted who she was expecting after such a commotion.

The head librarian quickly but quietly marched over to the two girls. Her clothes were prim and proper, a short business skirt and vest showing her seriousness, while her light blue hair was in a firm bun on the left side of her head.

"What is going on?!" The lady hissed sternly. She seemed to glare daggers at the taller teen before looking with a more relaxed stare towards the cat girl.

Blake blinked at the harsh tone and opened her mouth to respond when the other girl answered first.

"Sorry! I misjudged where I was setting down the books!" The girl openly apologized with a hand fluffing up her hair. The other hand was waving around with the stack still in hand, drawing cautionary gasps from the others in her presence. Guessing what was causing their concern, the blonde stopped the action and chuckled once more.

The grownup humphed, clearly not overly satisfied with the answer. "Please be careful! If your rough behavior continues, you will have to do your CCSP somewhere else." With the threat in place, the librarian turned in place and went back downstairs.

Blake quickly tried to think of where she heard the term when the answer came to her in a flash. Teens helped the library for two reasons; either they liked books and wanted to volunteer, or were there as part of the Vale Correctional Community Service Program. There were never enough volunteers, so the library allowed the teens who were in trouble but not super violent or dangerous to serve their time at the public library.

Pleased with solving the 'mystery', she gave away none of her thoughts as she went back to the stack of books to be put away.

"Well, I wasn't expecting to start off with a 'Yang' but here we are!" The cheerful whisper (and pun) came from the blonde who was now leaning on the edge of the cart. Once amber eyes met lilac, the girl smirked widely. "I'm Yang. If-if that was too witty for someone as pretty as you…?"

The question trailed off at the deadpan from the black haired teen. Blake fought the urge to smile at the absurd rhyme and instead kept her face still, trying to decide what to do at the goofy greeting. Before she finished debating on whether she should respond, Yang tried another line.

"I like your bow!" Seeing the shock and uncertainty of the girl, Yang pressed on. "It goes nicely with your outfit!"

Blake merely stared. She didn't dare move if such attention was on her bow which was only there to hide her ears. She had enough discrimination to last a lifetime but that didn't mean it wasn't still going to happen if she wasn't careful. Her ears were easy to hide, but if someone was very perceptive, the game was up. After a second, Yang's hesitant smile dropped, leaving a deep scowl instead. Her entire demeanor shifted, growing darker.

"Another lost cause I guess…" The blonde muttered softly.

A human probably couldn't have caught the sentence, but Blake did. An ear twitched at the dejection she saw on the other's face. Yang didn't say another word and began to walk away. Blake joled at the movement and glanced to the stacks of books the girl left.

"Wait. What about these books?" Blake asked quietly, gesturing to the corresponding objects.

Hearing the soft voice, Yang perked up slightly, trying for a little bravo. "Oh, that librarian Aqua? She told me to bring them here."

"Oh. Do you know how to put them away?" Blake checked while she started to sort the latest returns. She couldn't stop the amused smirk at how the other girl seemed dumbfounded by the question.

"There's a special way?" Yang chuckled nervously, scratching her head.

Blake couldn't help a small grin at the statement. "Yes, there is. The same that's used in rest of the library." She teasingly stated and pointed to the bottom corner on the spine of a book. A sticker was there, with a set of numbers and three letters. "The letters are the first three of the author's last name. The numbers refer to the genre and section."

"Oh that's what they were!" Yang hummed, leaning closer and giving a million watt smile to the black haired teen after eyeing the sticker.

Blake blinked in surprise at the grin and response. She gave a soft cough and pointed to the ones added out of order on her cart. "If you don't mind putting them away properly on the cart? I like to sort them here to make it faster to put back on the shelves."

"That makes sense, that makes sense…" The blonde nodded as she picked up the books she had brought. She found that the girl had the whole three layered cart sorted by numbers then by alphabet.

In moments, she put them away and paused, watching the other from the corner of her eye. She then made some slight changes while Blake was turned away and cackled in her mind. Once that was done, she waited to see if there was anything else before sighing at the lackluster conversation and turning to leave.

Blake shifted at the exhale and felt her body tense briefly, realizing she had never gave her own name in reached out and put a gentle hand on the other's arm, stopping the blonde from walking away. "Thank you. My name is Blake. It was… interesting… to talk with you." The cat Faunus couldn't help the amused smirk while thinking about the fairly bad puns she had been subjected to. Her smile widened when the other girl beamed in return.

Yang went and put a hand on the one on her arm. "Thanks. It definitely made my day." She gave a cheeky wink before slowly walking away. She seemed disheartened when the contact between them broke. The blonde clammed back up, losing her grin and cheer as she began to trek back downstairs where disappointed adults waited to remind her of her failings with each glance and flinch.

Blake felt her heart squeeze at the change and scowled pensively. She was halfway tempted to ask what was wrong when she knocked into her returns cart. Instead she shook her head, focusing back on her tasks and the large amount of books waiting to be put away. Letting go of all thoughts outside of her work, she felt the slip into hyper focus occur gradually. The only time she broke out of her zone of centration was when the tall blonde studiously put away the returns on the cart. The other girl would exaggerate putting away the books silently, and stared intently at the stickers on the edges as she worked. The sight, including the overly thoughtful face twitches, amused Blake as she watched from the corner of her eye. It wasn't long before she realized why Yang was taking extra care when putting the newly returned items.

Each book had been put in proper place between its fellows, but was instead upside down, letting the sticker be near the top instead of the bottom as usual. It didn't cause a delay, nor was it out of place, merely just flipped around, causing Blake to half chuckle at the display. She barely schooled her features into the usual neutral face by the time Yang came back with more returns to put away upside down.

Blake lost track of time as she studiously put away the books, taking care to flip them back around in a showy manner. Her actions were rewarded with quiet laughter from the other girl. Soon however, it was nearing time to leave, and Blake jumped slightly when a large glove covered hand rested on her shoulder.

"Hey, while I'm sure you'd like to get lost in a book here, I'd hate to think of you locked up all night long." Yang added to the tease with a bold smirk. A smirk that grew three fold when Blake checked the time and blinked in surprise.

"It's nice to be someplace quiet and away from city bustle." The raven haired girl shrugged but turned away from the aisle she had been about to enter. "But I suppose you might have a point."

Yang beamed at the agreement and waved the other girl forward in a grand bow. Blake couldn't help her smile and tried to hide it behind a hand. An action that drew more of the other teen's attention and expanding smile.

Together, the two girls entered an elevator, with the returns cart at their back. Before either girl could figure out what to say, they arrived on the first floor. The door opened to show the librarians doing last minute adjustments while a group of kids with a single adult waited right by the main entrance. The CCSP guardian was pacing while the four teens looked on, bored.

Catching sight of golden locks, the adult frowned and marched over. "Yang Xiao Long, you knew we were to check out five minutes ago!" The grownup grabbed the girl's upper bicep and tried to pull her along. "You have to be more responsible…" The woman's words trailed off when not only did she not move an inch, but bright red eyes glared from under long yellow bangs. The adult released the teen with a smothered yelp.

The trio went still, tensions rising in the air. Each watched the others, none moving, until Yang let out a long exhale, closing her eyes. When she looked at the lady in charge, they were back to light lilac but now sported a bored glassy glint. "Yes. Sorry. I was helping Blake and forgot the time."

The grownup seemed unsure and glanced towards the disguised Faunus. Blake nodded, keeping a neutral expression as her thoughts raced. She continued to watch Yang from the corner of her eye, trying to figure out what had taken place.

The adult and blonde teen marched over to where the other teenagers were waiting, and they all went outside. The adult lead the way while the kids seemed more thrilled to be done than to be following the grownup. Putting away the cart behind the large wooden desk of the librarians, she gave the adults working still a distracted wave goodnight and headed outside.

 _What was that about? Is that why Yang is working with the CCSP?_ The young cat girl reflected on other times she'd seen seething anger. Most of the examples she could think of were when the Faunus tried to demand equal rights and work, and humans were just as angry. She barely focused on where she was heading, allowing habit to control her feet while she pondered. While she knew that a lot of kids with anger issues ended up working the the CCSP for their behavior, there weren't many who were allowed to work in a library in the middle of the city. Before she could puzzle out more hints to the story, a loud thud broke her concentration. Checking her surroundings, she found the source to be a nearby alley, where the lights didn't reach as well.

She cautiously went further in, senses on high alert. Two figures were in a heated discussion that had moved on from just words. Despite the darkness, it was easy to identify one of the combatants. She didn't immediately recognize the lad but the long wavy mass of blonde hair was hard to forget. The waves of golden yellow locks were flung around as the girl ducked the meager attacks of her oppenant, drawing amber orbs to stare in a half hypnotized state.

After the two threw a few more punches at each other, Blake realized it was one of the other CCSP kids Yang was fighting. And that indeed, the girl's gaze was scarlet red this time. Familiar with fights, Blake was quickly able to catch some of the things they said, eyes able to follow their motion effortlessly.

"... you just wanted to watch dat ass!" The boy tried to sneer but lost some of it's impact as he had to duck furious punches.

"You shut up right now Winchester, or you'll be limping for the rest of your life!" Yang snarled as she continued her frenzied attacks.

They circled in the small space available, making it difficult for the boy to fully swing a mace he held. While it wasn't really allowed for regular citizens to carry weapons, there were ways of hiding them on one's person or even nearby, making it all the more difficult to regulate such a ruling. Though Blake was surprised to find the lad was using only a plain mace to fight the furious girl who was more than willing to fire off a few shots from her gauntlets as they fought.

"Yeah right. We all know you're just going to cut and run like your-" Cardin never finished his taunt. An aura encrusted fist slammed into his face, sending him flying backwards into the brick wall. Nose bleeding profusely, he slid down with a groan.

"You better stop eyeing everyone within a two block radius." Yang turned to walk away but stopped when her gaze connected with gold amber orbs. The red drained away, leaving dejected lilac. Her entire stance seem to deflate the longer she stared.

Blake tried to keep her face neutral as her mind raced. She could tell the other girl hadn't wanted her fight witnessed by anyone. The raven haired girl checked on the lad crumpled on the ground, releasing some tension when she was able to make out the sound of soft breathing. Turning back to the blonde beauty who hadn't budged an inch, she sighed. "Was violence really needed?"

The taller teen shrugged, breaking eye contact as she glanced to the left. "He doesn't listen otherwise." Yang jerked a thumb to the now slumped lad behind her. She peeked out of the corner of her eye to watch the unexpected witness.

The cat Faunus couldn't argue as the White Fang found similar results. She pursed her lips, unsure if she wanted to say anything else. When she found no other comment coming to mind, she turned around and walked calmly back to the main roads.

While she kept her stance loose, her hand hovered close to her bag where she kept Gambol Shroud. A person could never be too careful, even in a peaceful city, especially for a disguised Faunus. Ears straining to give her advance warning, her brow's twitched in thought when she heard sulking stomps moving further away. It seemed the brawler was moving deeper into the backstreets of the city.

Blake looked over her shoulder and wasn't sure how to feel when the blonde didn't exit the alley. Unease built as she tried to understand but found no answer. Searching her recollection of the fight, she realized that Yang had taken few if any hits during the brawl, and was more than likely going to spend her night doing who knows what.

The Faunus tried to shake off her uneasy feeling. Taking the shortest route to the less traveled residential segments, she didn't allow her eyes to wander, focusing on only what was necessary to be sure she wasn't followed nor threatened. The roads went from wide and brightly lit to narrower ones with barely enough space for vehicles to travel along. Dust powered lamps were either broken open or in low power as they valiantly tried to keep any sort of brightness going. The buildings were a mix of ancient and moderately newer. None were in the best repair.

It wasn't the best housing but Vale was more advanced culturally than some of the other countries, making sure that housing, even for Faunus, was better than slums. Not all that much better, as those in charge of the apartments didn't always treat their tenants, even their human ones, well.

There were alleyways that broke up the line of apartments, barely more than places for trash cans to gather. Those without jobs or with darker jobs rested along the narrow path, avoiding eye contact and keeping their thoughts to themselves. Almost no light reached these narrow spaces, adding another reason to use the narrow escape ways.

The cat Faunus' crawled to a languish trot as she neared 'home'. The building in front of her was five stories tall, made of a ruddy red brick, smushed in between several others just like it. The front door segment was locked, a rarity among the buildings in the area, and the front lobby was thankfully empty. Helped no doubt by the late hour.

Blake didn't waste any time and went straight to her place on the third floor. The door opened with a decent creak that she had sought out when first selecting a place to stay. It helped her sensitive hearing pick up any intruders that were tempted to rob her. Not that the room had all that much inside.

The main segment was a tiny living room, with kitchen through one door across the way and an even tinier bedroom on the right side. The left was the bathroom that had only enough space for a shower, not that Blake trusted the area enough to go for full soaks in a bathtub. With only minimal furniture, there was plenty of space to lay her bag down and pull her weapon from it along with a white metal mask.

The design was simple, covering the top part of her face in a seamless mask that had two slits per eye and longer tips on the ends, looking like miniature fangs. Red marks crossed vertically over the eye placements and then up along where eyebrows usually were. The mask had been a gift from her boyfriend, Adam Taurus, when the White Fang shifted its focus from peaceful protests to more active ones.

With a heavy sigh, she put the mask in place and readied her mind for another night of 'protest'. She tied up her hair into a ponytail and changed outfits into one that lend to far more free motion and action.

"Time to go right more wrongs…"

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 **End Note: Soooo... Yep. It's going to be a decent length. I have a vague idea of what I want to happen, but I'm going to be winging it for some of the story (which is always fun to see how things work out). I have to edit this stuff myself, and don't always have spare time, so not sure on update schedule, but hopefully not that long in between chapters. If you see anything that needs correcting, feel free to let me know. Please leave a review as it helps me figure out how to grow with criticism. If not, that's also ok, I just hope everyone has fun with this as I will. See you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: As a reminder, this story will have darker tones as we take a closer look at what the White Fang probably did a lot of... And it's not pretty. but I've seen the games teenagers play and the stories they read. Yeah, this is right up their alley. And no, it's not bad for adults to watch or read the same. Anyone can enjoy things that may not be targeted for them. Heck, I'm trying to figure out what RWBY is rated but it was supposed to be for mostly everyone to watch... Yeeeaaaah...**

 **So that's enough of me trying to defend my story before it goes much further... Here we go!**

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Night time was just setting in. The city never truly went to sleep, but most of the docks and storage areas did. Businesses were long since closed as it arrived ever closer to midnight.

A group of Faunus gathered around a Faunus with a short brown and light brown tail in an side alley near a large warehouse. On the side of the grey building was a large white snowflake made of thin strokes. The group was made of different Faunus all wearing white masks, reminiscent of the creatures of Grimm. The dog Faunus was leading the group and gave detailed instructions to the others on his squad. His mask covered his entire face, red lines tracing along where his jaw was and swirled vine-like on the outsides, while he played with a short staff capped by a blank crystal.

"We're going to teach the SDC not to try and expand to Vale." The man twirled his weapon in a small circle. Lines of dust shone brightly in the night as it moved. "There's some guards here, and some of those Atlesian guards. We're going to go in and blow their supplies." He stopped the motion dramatically at the declaration.

The Fang members gave a silent cheer, Blake included, throwing fists into the air. They each had their weapons free with little else on them aside from white or black coats that stretched to their thighs. While the fighters had only their weapons, the others also had small, tightly sealed bags strapped to their waists. Most wore a protective vest that encircled their whole torso. A few of their more battle experienced members didn't wear the generic armor, going for more personalized clothing instead. Five members had their own styles while the other seven were in the basic uniform.

One was a bull Faunus with a long black trench coat, one was a chameleon Faunus wearing black shorts and black sleeveless shirt, the dog Faunus leader wore a white t-shirt and long black pants, his second in command, a lizard Faunus with gray plating on his face and arms, wore a grey tank top and dark grey cargo pants with half armor on his chest and forearms, and Blake wore a long white coat over top her clothes from earlier in the day.

The street they hid on was cloaked in shadows as they had long ago broken the bulbs. Any cameras that might have faced their way had been blackened out or hacked into by some of their crew. Since it was in the middle of a well protected city, there weren't any guards that walked the perimeter. A blessing for those with dark intentions. Something the White Fang were happily using to their advantage.

"Adam, Blake, you two lead us in. Take care of the guards, and we'll set the charges." The dog Faunus, Brutus, ordered, pointing to their best fighters. "Illia, you watch our backs."

The brown haired girl nodded, giving a tiny glance to the cat girl before loosening up her sword with a flick of her wrist. Adam gripped Wilt and Blush tightly, though his posture was straight and proud. Blake gave the bull Faunus a glance over and shifted into a ready action, keeping a sharp sense of where her boyfriend stood as they prepared to enter the building.

At the whistle, the two shot forward towards the side entrance. The door was set into the frame and had no handle on the outside. A keypad offered a slim chance of entry. Knowing they would never be allowed in officially, Adam powered up a slice, cutting the door in three pieces as he moved. The chunks grated against each other as they dropped away from its original pausing, the lad went inside, sword back into its scabbard with Blake hot on his heels.

Inside was a small antechamber with another set of guard doors with a large dust and metal detector in front. The room had half a desk as it's only furniture since the Atlesian Robots didn't require a place to sit. Lining both sides of the small entrance way was five of the non-sentient guards, hands at their sides and screens just warming up at the intrusion. Robot helmets turned on, the red lighting up the darkness, as they turned towards the intruders.

"Identify yourself."

Neither fighter bothered to respond. Instead, they shot in, keeping low to the ground and crossing paths, each taking one side. The enemy machines began to move out of their frozen states, pulling up weapons.

"Intruders, leave the premises at once."

Again, the White Fang members didn't accept the command and began the fight in earnest. In moments the lines of automations were destroyed, leaving an empty room while a light in the corner blared. A high pitch whine caused all the Faunus to flinch as they began to file in. Brutus nodded towards the other door frame and the two fighters crisscrossed in front of it, cutting through the defenses easily.

Once past the detector (which also turned on feebly, shining red at the large amounts of unauthorized items passing by), the group began to split into their assigned segments. Adam and Blake both ran for the Atlesian Knights that were pouring out of another room to the far right.

The room they were in was filled floor to ceiling industrial shelving. The rows between them were wide enough for heavy equipment to drive through, but didn't help the feeling of being insignificant in the presence of the supplies stored there. Metal crates filled every inch of the shelving, each stamped with the initials SDC along with the Schnee snowflake.

Along the far left was a large rolling door that would normally allow for large shipments as well as the forklift they used to move the crates of dust. On the wall across from where the White Fang entered was the front entrance and offices. The room on the right was nearly empty as dark gray robots now mixed in the aisles, the lights on their helmets helping to pinpoint where they were, even though the Faunus could see in the very dim light. Lights along the edge of the walls flashed dull red along with the shrill cry of the alarm.

The majority of the ground hung back, unwilling to risk the explosives in a gunfight. This left plenty of room for their vanguard to clear the area. With the ease of long practice and working together for years, the duo made quick work of the opponents.

Blasts rang out in the warehouse, blocked by swords or ducked entirely. Adam rushed forward, cutting through the robots easily. Down the other lane, Blake swung over the tops of the guards, using the ribbon on Gambol Shroud. Passing each clump of robots, she allowed herself to drop lower and clear them out in a series of quick swipes. They cleared the farthest corner as soon as they could and began closing in on where the Atlesian Knights came from originally. Their fellows stayed a safe distance away but worked nonetheless at setting charges along each row of containers.

Sirens began to blare louder while bright harsh lights turned on for the human guards. Their boots, if not their shouts of alarm, signed their approach. They tried to flank the two main fighters who were just finishing off the last of the Atlesian Knights. They raised up their blasters, taking aim.

"Watch out!" Illia cried out, jumping forward to strike at a guard who pointed his weapon at the cat Faunus. The slightly younger teen then cut her way through the group of men. They all fell with yells of pain as their bodies twitched from the electric dust used against them.

"Thanks!" Blake responded as she swung to attack the new targets. She didn't use the sharp point of her blade against the humans. She may not like them, but she didn't want to have to kill them just yet.

Adam held no such reserve. As they moved on from the robotic enemies to the living human ones, he continued to aim for the finishing blow each time. Soon the guards were retreating from the onslaught, heavily wounded or out of the fight entirely. The other White Fang members (aside from the three on the front edge now) had set the charges during the rush and were quickly filling out of the side room.

The three fighters began to slow down, standing guard instead, as there were no new opponents to combat. They kept an intense eye out for more trouble, as they were supposed to.

Brutus went last towards the room where they had first entered, making sure the rest of the group was out before yelling towards their guards. "It's time. Let's go!"

As one, the fighters turned on a dime and raced for the exit. They leapt over bodies littering the floor. Some moved at the sudden show, fear bright in their eyes. Some bodies didn't, their gazes glassed over permanently, wide eyed and surprised. A single black ear twitched at how scared the injured were but that didn't cause any of the running Faunus to pause in their race for the exit. Due to how Adam had opened the doors, they couldn't put any sort of blockade to prevent followers or retaliations.

Brutus was just outside the doorway and waved them onward. "The others have gone on to the second meeting site." He then gestured towards Adam and Illia. "Adam, make sure we're not followed. Illia, you know what you are to do."

They nodded once and split up. Adam swirled in place, his black trench coat impressively flaring out, as he watched the doorway, gaze alert for any sort of motion. Illia took off down the street, reaching for a bag that had been left behind by one of the other members, and started to pull clothing out from it. She quickly put on a bland shirt and coat over her fighting gear and placed her specialized mask into the bag instead.

Blake gave them both one parting check before following their mission leader towards the second site. Two blocks away and Brutus pressed a detonator, glancing over his left shoulder to make sure it worked. Blake's ears twitched as a soft explosion went off, followed by a much larger roam as more of the charges caught and set off the multitudes of dust crates. The dog Faunus smirked, pleased, as he put away the switch. Together, they reached the second site without issue and found the rest of the squad there, waiting with open excitement on their faces.

"It's done." Their leader pointed over the tops of nearby stores where the sky was beginning to light up orange with a large plume of smoke above it. The Fang members gave another silent cheer, patting each other on the back and relaxing from their tense positions.

Blake didn't relax however. She watched the smoke go up to the sky and pondered. Her shoulders were still creeping up to her ears as she thought about her boyfriend who had remained behind. Illia was able to hide among the crowds but Adam couldn't be able to do so. Or rather, he wouldn't. And it was all the SDC's fault. A spike of anger shot through her core but just as quickly dissipated, leaving her tired instead. She was left wondering if any of the humans were able to escape and had an uneasy feeling about the answer.

While she continued her vigilant watch of the road leading to the warehouse district, Blake felt her heart soar when she saw that Adam running along the roofs, catching up to the group who were talking quietly among themselves. The girl pointed out her boyfriend's location to the leader silently.

Brutus nodded just as quiet and waved for their group to join the lad on the rooftops. "Alright, let's see what it looks like…" He pulled a pair of binoculars out of a small pouch and looked to their handiwork.

Other members soon followed suit, though Blake waited for Adam to land next to her before doing so. She gave him a questioning glance, with a sing brow raised. He in turn nodded, reaching out to brush a strand of her dark hair back behind her ear. Reassured, the two also looked to where the fire raged, taking note of the situation.

The inferno was growing wildly out of control. Nearby warehouses, all belonging to the Schnee Dust Company, were hastily being emptied to prevent the fire from getting worse or spreading further. Fire trucks and police vehicles surrounded and closed off the area, their lights and warning sirens blaring loud enough to be heard to the Faunus who watched well over fifteen blocks away. Workers dashed to and fro, trying to figure out the best combination to put out the flame, but were having difficulty.

The dust that had caught alight prevented normal methods for fire control. Lightning Dust shot off as it continued to surge, preventing water from being used. Fire and Gravity Dust ruined the buckets of sand they threw onto test patches. The only thing that was in their favor was the random spurts of Ice Dust that exploded, extinguishing parts of the fire until another canister of Fire Dust went off.

Satisfied that the inferno would keep the authorities occupied for a while yet, Brutus shifted his sights to look for any Schnee workers. There was a few, standing off to the side and having a harsh conversation, judging from the hand gestures and facial expressions on the one doing most of the yelling. Just a few steps away, hidden among the growing crowd of worried onlookers, was Illia, her skin and hair the same as any other human around her. She was able to hide her interest in what the employees were talking about as she pretended to be worried about the fire.

"Good… Good… Alright, let's pack it up." Brutus commanded, setting his goggles down.

Everyone else did the same and began to trek back to their hidden base of operations. They kept to the roofs where there were no guards, no police, to see them, heading southwest. The area remained poor enough that no one cared about the group as they traveled on the tops of homes and businesses alike. They moved as a single unit, their training and natural agility helping them stay balanced on the uneven footing.

Soon however they had to drop down to the streets as they wound their way along narrow alleys and streets, following a set of red stripes that identified whose territory it was. They came up to a medium height building that was spaced apart from its neighbors. Other masked Faunus patrolled the space in pairs, weapons drawn and on alert. The building was dark grey, like the others around it, but had no windows to the outside. The few it did have were on the top floor and were boarded up. On the roof were even more White Fang members, stationed on each corner and some pairs moving in between. While there were multiple exits to the building, a feature they always made sure their bases had, the group went towards the main gate.

The road leading up to it was a little wider than the others, going to a large roll up door with a normal metal one beside it. The guards waiting there held up their guns as per protocol.

Brutus raised his hands, weapon attached to his belt, and put them together, palm to palm. "Greetings brothers. May the Faunus be ever free."

Hearing the passphrase, the two guards lowered their weapons with nods of acknowledgement. They stepped aside, the one on the right entering in the current code for the door.

"And may our Crusade achieve its goal." The two responded in kind, turning their attention back on the road behind those returning.

Brutus waited outside as the others on his squad entered, and faced the guards. "Sister Illia will be arriving soon. Keep in mind how much she doesn't like being teased." He watched the two stiffen, waiting for their agreement before going in after his group.

Once inside, they didn't wait by the entrance and went for a nearby meeting room to debrief. They found one that was empty, though it didn't have any furniture inside either. The group formed a circle, though their focus was on their leader.

"Brother Adam, did any get out or try to follow us?" Brutus turned to the lad who had managed to acquire a spot next to the dog Faunus with Blake on his other side.

"None." Adam's voice was low and predatory, his smile showing the pleasure he found in the fact.

Blake's heart sank as she thought to those they had left behind, injured. She shifted in place, her conscience trying to spur her into action, but stopped when she felt her boyfriend's gaze on her. She tried to go still, willing to wait to talk with the teenager when they weren't in the group or in the base.

"And you left a sign that it was us who did this?" Brutus continued his questioning, not having seen the cat girl fidget. When Adam merely nodded, the dog man clapped his hands before rubbing them together. "Good. Good. Ok. So aside from any information Sister Illia brings us, we have some news about those in Vale who need a 'lesson'."

The second in command, a Faunus with gray plating along his arms and face, held up his scroll, projecting the information there. "These are people, or even whole families, that need a lesson. Remember to go in teams of three or more, helps make sure we don't lose while 'teaching'." The lieutenant spoke as he slowly scrolled the information along.

The blue projection was filling with entry after entry of individuals or entire families who had been found to be racist in one way or another. On the left side was a picture of the target, while the remaining seventy percent of the line was filled with details about who they were, where they could be found, and what they had done to Faunus recently and in the past. It was unfortunately still a rather long list. Their 'crimes' ranged from verbal abuse, regular discrimination, and more violent actions.

Midway down the listing, a surname and family portrait of three caught Blake's immediate attention. She held up a finger, silently asking for the man to not move the screen further. "The Winchesters… They only have one son?" She pointed to the lad in the picture, easily recalling his features from the brawl close to the local library.

"Yes. Cardin Winchester was expelled from Beacon along with his team for racism and extreme violence against… everyone actually. Faunus and human alike." The lizard Faunus frowned at the projection, reading along with everyone else the rather long list of crimes the family had done towards the Faunus.

It was a wide expanse of grievances. Their houses, stores and affiliations wouldn't allow for Faunus employment or customers, they had been very vocal in not allowing more rights or services that catered specifically towards the Faunus, and their only son had a penchant for physical violence against everyone he deemed lesser than himself. From the information listed, it would seem the only reason people still put up with them is because the family was old and rich. As usual.

Once most were done reading, they looked back to the cat Faunus, curious. Blake took little notice of this attention as her mind raced with the information and what she'd seen. Jolting out of her private thoughts at a soft touch from the young man on her right, she shook her head and spoke a little louder than her usual tone.

"He's currently serving community service time with the CCSP… And has already been beaten for other offenses." Blake shrugged at the silent questions she saw in their gazes. "I didn't do it, but caught the end of the fight between him and his current 'teacher'." The hand on her shoulder squeezed, drawing her attention. She smiled timidly towards her boyfriend before growing serious once more and facing the second in command. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt the briefing; I just wanted to let whoever picks him that he is much weaker currently."

Those in charge nodded in appreciation while some of the others smirked, pleased that the racist had already paid for being a prick. Before they continued to list off those on their hit list, a knock announced Illia's return.

"Sorry. I wanted to be sure I heard everything before coming back…" The girl's freckles turned a dusty red at the attention her arrival drew.

Brutus nodded gracefully and waved her forward, gesturing for her to report her findings. Steeling her nerves, Illia took a stand next to Blake who gave the girl a warm smile, happy to see her friend returned safely. The red on the girl's face darkened and she gave a tiny cough before staring at Brutus.

"We hit them hard tonight. They are running out of space for the Dust shipments, and they are expecting another one next week, on the third." Illia placed both arms behind her back to help her posture.

"You're sure?" The second in command asked, putting away the list for now.

"Yes. They don't want to but they have no other option than to rent out more generic storage locations to hold what Dust they still have while they wait for repairs to their warehouse." Illia smirked. She rolled forward on the balls of her heels as she went on. "They are also trying to see if any of their stores in Vale have room for the supplies."

"And it'd be a shame if they didn't…" Brutus spoke up with a sly grin growing beneath his mask. "Alright. We've got some fishing to do. We'll go over that tomorrow. Let's finish assigning 'lessons' and dismiss for the night. Remember, volunteers only for the 'lessons'." The leader commanded, signalling for his second to resume talking about the list.

The rest of the debrief went quickly. Considering the size of their group, one three targets were selected by two groups of three and one group made up of Adam and Illia. Since they were more experienced fighters, they were allowed to have only two assigned to the mission. They dispersed soon after that point, each leaving in a measured pace and distance from the others and they shed their gear and masks to blend in with the surroundings.

Blake had stayed quiet after Illia had returned safely. Her mind continued to dwell on the lost of life their actions caused and what might happen if the fire wasn't controlled soon. Her silence was noted by her two closest friends. They waited until the room was empty before turning to the cat teenager.

"Blake, are you ok…?" Illia spoke softly, reaching out to touch the girl's left shoulder. She tried to angle her face to peek at the other girl and gave a shaky smile.

The girl took a shaky breath and smiled back. "Yes. I was thinking about something, don't mind me."

"And… you're not hurt?" The chameleon pressed, glancing over the girl before focusing on her gaze with a blush.

"Yes. I'm fine. Really." Blake smiled first to the other girl then focused on the lad who was also staring intensely at her.

Suddenly, Adam looked towards the younger girl and cleared his throat. "Illia, if you could give us a moment?" He reached out and grabbed his girlfriend's hand, tugging her to his side.

The action was unexpected and caused Blake to almost knock into the lad. At the last second, she was able to get her feet beneath her. She couldn't hold back a blush at the warmth she felt from him, and wouldn't meet Illia's gaze.

"O-oh, ok…"

Blake didn't watch the other girl leave but could hear the sounds of the footsteps echo in the room. Once the door was shut, she shuffled in place, feeling her face burn up at being alone with her boyfriend and his overwhelming presence.

"My love, what is the matter?" Adam kept his voice low, tugging the hand he held. "What is running through your mind?" He used his other hand to brush through the loose bangs of the girl. He leisurely moved the mask from her face, allowing it to drop to the ground, and began to trace her jawline.

"N-nothing…" The younger teen tried to deny any problem but could tell he wasn't buying it.

"Blake. Do you doubt me?" The boy used his hand to move her head to face him directly.

"No Adam. I'm not doubting that you mean the best for the Faunus." Blake shook her head, unintentionally removing it from his touch.

Something Adam wasn't pleased to note as he immediately went to grab her chin.

"Then why did you hesitate when I reported my success at the warehouse? Why did you hesitate when it came time to pick targets to speak to?" The lad's voice stayed low but gained a rumble as he spoke. He tilted her head upwards, using his height to stare down into her eyes from behind his mask. "Are you ashamed of us? Of the White Fang?"

"I-I am not ashamed of us, of the White Fang." Blake frowned briefly. She then tried for a pleading expression. "Was it really necessary to prevent anyone from escaping the blast? Did you have to kill them?" She couldn't keep her sights on him.

"You are doubting me." Adam growled, shifting closer as he snarled. "If we didn't finish them, if if we didn't kill them, they would kill us. You know it. You've seen it yourself." He held her chin tighter. "Or are you saying that you are starting to think that your parents might be right? That we should just let us be stamped back down into poverty, into slavery?!"

Blake tried to shake her head in denial but couldn't break free of the grasp without using more force than she wanted to. "No! Adam, no, I don't want that. You know that. I just-... Never mind…" She slumped in place, already mentally exhausted from the conversation.

"Blake, I need you to be with me. To be there for me." The lad's voice lost it's threatening edge. He loosened his grip on the girl's chin and moved to trace her cat ears instead. "Are you still with me…?"

"Yes, of course I'm still with you Adam." Blake closed her eyes at the soft touch, enjoying the feeling of someone rubbing her cat ears.

"Good. I'm glad, my love." Adam practically whispered, a satisfied grin spreading on his face. He bent down closer to the girl. "I'm glad you see the truth…"

While he moved closer, Blake could feel heat bloom on her cheeks as her eyelids fluttered closed. She tried to lean upwards, sensing where this was going, and couldn't control how her ears twitched in anticipation.

Adam smirked, euphoric at the control he had over his girlfriend, and tilted his head to give more room as he had yet to remove his mask. They stayed like that for a little while, enjoying their kiss. Pulling back, Adam lingered after the touch with a smile. He could feel how it affected the cat Faunus and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"I'll walk you home. Then I'll go and meet with the others for dealing with the racists of the city." He took a hold of the girl's hand, leading the way out of the base and onto the deserted streets of the city. He passed Blake's mask back into her right hand, though he kept a firm hold on her left.

The night was half over, most of the businesses closed and sealed, and those who were out had less than good things to do. No one bothered the two Faunus who boldly walked in the middle of the road. Adam made sure that his girlfriend stayed by his side for every step, a taunting smirk in place at any how shied away after seeing his mask.

Blake also noticed this. Her ears went flat as a ripple of anxiety ran through her chest. _Monsters…_ She peeked towards her boyfriend and frowned when she saw the enjoyment he got from the look of fear in the eyes of others. Amber orbs skittered away as they came ever closer to where she lived.

"Are you still going to the library during the day?" Adam asked in a low tone.

"Yes. I will be there all day. Until it's time for our activities." Blake kept her voice low as well. "You know that."

"Yes. But I wanted to be sure. Wouldn't want to suddenly start to doubt you…" Adam sneered, tilting his head down so his hissed words were legible only for the cat Faunus.

He watched, eyes sharp under his mask, at how the black furred ears flattened in guilt. Happy to have made his point, he straightened up and continued striding down the roadway.

Blake got another kiss for the night outside her door. They kept it short, though Adam still hummed at the end, pleased. He left without much fanfare. The cat Faunus entered the small housing, glancing around the apartment briefly before going to the kitchen part of the main room. The only divider of the kitchen and living room was the floor, going from wood to tiling. The fridge had some food there that would make a simple meal. She had scavenged plates, some bowls, and utensils from second hand stores.

The White Fang might believe they should just take what they needed but she didn't. Everyone had a right to earn and work for their living. And taking things from others was something that bullies did. As she ate, she continued to ponder her situation.

The neighborhood was quiet, especially as the night wore on. The girl moved on from thinking about what the White Fang were doing and reflected on her evening and the battle. Every move was analyzed for efficiency. How to optimize the team movements. How to speed up the moves.

In the midst of thinking of rapid strikes, a flash of yellow came across her inner mind. The fluidness of the punches were surprising, showing expertise that belied her age. Bright red eyes reminded her of how some Faunus looked at humans. But lilac orbs… When they were the soft lilac… They held so much more.

 _Why was she in the CCSP? Fighting, maybe?_ Her mind flashed to the brawl-style fighting the blonde did. _Probably was the fighting… I wonder if they'll realize she got into another one. Though she did manage to avoid getting hit…_ She realized that she was mentally checking over the blonde and shook the image clear. She looked down and found while she was imaging the other girl, she had finished her meal. With a soft hum, she cleaned up after herself, feeling curiosity build in her mind.

The itch became too much to ignore. Reaching for her scroll, she did a quick search for Yang Xiao Long, going through old newspapers articles. She was mildly surprised to see Yang was among the top students of Signal Academe, a special school for hunters and huntresses.

But it was when the tall brawler got to Beacon that there was an issue. There wasn't an official statement from the school but there was an article about Yang having gotten into a huge fight with Cardin Winchester's whole team, CRDL. The article was highly likely to be bias as it painted the Winchesters as an innocent, wholesome family, against a wild child abandoned by her bandit mother. The paper was more than willing to go in depth about this fact, though there were little details overall. A single ear twitched at the revelation.

They managed to get a picture of the tall blonde after her fight, taken from a distance as she exited an airship. She had a surly gaze that was emphasized by the black eye and bandages covering a large portion of her face and arms. For some reason, the picture caused Blake's heart to pinch. A short haired blonde grownup was escorting Yang away. The similarities lead to the assumption of him being a family member, more than likely her father based on how old he looked. While the girl's gaze wasn't scarlet, it wasn't the soft lilac Blake had seen before either. It was glassed over; from pain or something else, the Faunus wasn't sure.

She checked when the incident occurred and leaned back in shock. The court decision and date was a separate article that tried to paint the girl as a danger to everyone around her. It had taken place six months ago. Yang hadn't made it through more than two months of school before she broke too many rules and got into the large brawl that was the last straw. The picture that went with the court article caused the cat girl's heart to beat painfully. The blonde was dressed far nicer than she seemed to ever have before and had her head bowed, hair blocking most of her face from view, while the judge seemed to be giving his verdict.

Blake felt her spirits just as low, easily imagining how it felt to be unfairly blamed. It almost made her wish she had taken the Winchester assignment before she remembered that's what caused Yang to be expelled as it was. Instead, she sighed and tried to clear her mind of all the information she just learned. An almost impossible task, she could already tell.

 _Hmm.. I guess we all have little secrets…_ She looked over to the corner of her scroll and jumped when she saw the time there. _I better head to bed if I'm supposed be helping the library tomorrow… I wonder if she'll be back there again._

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 **Author Note: Okie dokie! So here we go... Told y'all it's going to be a long one XD I was tempted to wait until Friday to post this, but... I am too excited. Oh well. I'd like to say thanks to those who've already favored this story and followed; I'm definitely going to keep up a semi-regular schedule as possible.**

 **To the two reviews this story already has: Thanks! I feel kind of silly having to look up 'catman'. -.- But I recognized both catman from Justice League cartoon and from the Fairy Odd Parents. Didn't realize it was close enough to come to some people's minds xD**

 **As for the other review, glad to hear you're already hooked and while Blake may not need to cover for Yang this time (she was fast enough to beat Cardin without letting him get a hit in), I do have some semblance of a plan. That may or may not include something like the suggestion you've given. :P Everyone will just have to wait and see. ;)  
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 **Thanks again for everyone who is reading the story and liking it. Please let me know if there are things I could improve or what are your favorite parts so far! Or just anything really, feedback is helpful. And compliments are nice. :) See you guys in the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Arthur Note: Did anyone else hear Blake's trailer music, From Shadows, in that last fight she did with Adam last chapter? I kind of did. On a music binge for them currently. Can't help myself. Enjoy story time!**

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Yang bit back a groan at the adult who stood in front of the group of five teens. They were gathered outside a wide single floored building that didn't have any large signs declaring what it was for. A much smaller sign, right above the glass door, stated it was the Vale Correctional Community Service Program Facility. The teens had either walked, were dropped off, or drove (if they were allowed) to gather in front of the building as their court cases dictated.

But the adult who was assigned to watch them always felt the need to start their time with a lector of 'responsibilities'. It didn't matter that none of them were late or missing. It didn't even matter why they were serving time, Yolanda Evanda was well known for her love of the word 'responsibilities'. Even among the other correctional officers. The lanky woman paced in front of her charges, her dark brown hair swishing behind her in an almost distracting way. The two girls were distracted at least while Yang tried to stare over Yolanda's shoulder blandly. The boys watched other aspects that the adult was currently oblivious to.

Teenagers ordered to serve time for varying reasons were split into groups based on their behavior, type of crime, and previous records. Those who were decently behaving and of non-violent or lesser crimes, could go home after their mandatory service and were expected to arrive back at the building at the required time to start their work. Those who were a constant danger to themselves or others, or who's crimes were more serve, had to stay under constant vigilance at the Correctional Facility. They also weren't allowed to serve in public places, making it harder for those with worst crimes to escape or cause further harm.

Yang thanked every lucky star she had that she was the former type; able to still go out and live a semi regular life after she had to do community service. But even as she was willing to work at a library, being lectured without cause was not on her to do list. So she allowed her mind to wonder blankly. A challenge as it felt almost like school which only reminded her about how and why she was there in the first place.

Feeling her agitation grow, along with a sense she's long since associated with her semblance, she tried to distract herself by studying the others around her. She had been assigned to this time frame and project a week ago and she wasn't holding much hope for the lot.

The four other teenagers were a mix bunch made up of two other girls and two boys, one of which was Cardin. Yang hadn't bothered to learn anyone's name from the group as they were more likely to know who she was and cause an 'incident'.The boys had already proven to be the type she's seen a million times in clubs and at school; thinking with their lower half and being overly fond of trying to flout their 'desirability'. Though the girls were mostly quiet and kept to themselves, luckily, as the blonde's had issues in the past with the levels of cattiness some girls were willing to stoop to.

One girl was short with long red orange hair that was naturally a little curly. If Yang remembered right, she also got into fights, and was put to helping the library to be in a more peaceful environment. The other girl had light brown hair that hung to her shoulders in straight lines. She had been caught after doing numerous graffiti vandalisms on the government buildings. Yang guessed the girl respected books enough to not try anything in the library at least.

The boys were a different problem. The lanky one with dirty blonde hair and tiny goatee had openly boasted about his constant joyrides of everything; vehicles, airships, and women. It was almost enough to cause Yang to knock him down a peg or two right then and there when they had introduced themselves their first day. But she held back, waiting for when their every move wasn't monitored, to do so. It was hours later, after they had finished their work and had split to return to their own ways, that she was able to teach him about personal bubble space. It got him to stop ogling her everytime she was within twenty feet and due to his embarrassment of the beating, he didn't dare tell any adult who had roughed him up so badly.

It was Cardin who was the most troublesome of the bunch. He had finally been caught being incredibly racist and violent towards the other students of Beacon. Something about almost costing a second year her life after pushing her out the window as he had pulled on her rabbit ears. Normally, that sort of crime would mean he had to be restrained in the facility but with his family's influence, he got a lighter sentence and was allowed to do the easier service projects instead.

Except that he seemed worse for wear today then when Yang left him yesterday. Cardin seemed to avoid everyone's curious sights and stared at their guard only out of habit. Yang checked out the new injuries from the corner of her eye while pretending to listen to the lecture. His arms showed heavy damage. The left was covered in bruises while his right hand encased in bandages as his aura tried to heal it, considering the flicker of light over the area. He also favored his right leg, while bumps along his limbs showed where he was hiding bandages under his baggy clothing. Nose was still broken though as indicated by a bandage that covered it, causing a please smirk to flash briefly over Yang's face.

It was gone just as fast as she pondered on why he was so heavily injured. She exhausted his arua last night, which is why they were slow to heal, but she knew she stopped rather early considering she found they had an audience. After another second, she decided to let it go, not worth worrying about. It may even mean he was quieter than usual today. The blonde tuned back into the lecture just in time to find it wrapping up.

The older woman finished talking and waved them into the van they used for travel, oblivious to the sighs of relief from the whole group. The ride was silent as none of the teens made eye contact with anyone else. The vehicle was a plain pale blue, giving no indication that it was a correctional transport, and woved through afternoon traffic easily.

Yang was willing to keep her head down while authorities were watching, sticking to her side of the van and not talking to others. It kept her off their radar when they weren't looking. She had tried that tactic at Beacon but found it did little help, their teachers being much more observant than she expected. But since she has now 'taught' both boys a lesson, and the girls didn't seem to have any intent to mess with her, she hoped for a nice quiet evening working. Maybe even talk with that one girl some more. The brawler found a small grin grow as her thoughts turned to the raven haired teen and how she was willing to talk, even if it was just in whispers as they were in a library.

Once they reached the multileveled building, the group trouped in and were greeted by the head librarian Aqua once again. She gave the same instructions as she had every day: they would be assigned to specific floors so they would know who messed up the area and were NOT to create any sort of disturbance.

Yang found she was the target of a fisheye from the grownup. Yesterday's incident flashed through her mind at the comment and she chuckled apologetically with a tiny smile. The reminder shifted her thoughts back to the person she had been stunned by in the first place. _Maybe not a lost cause after all… I wonder if I get to help her again…_

She held her breath when they began to assign the work and internally did a little dance when she realized she would be working with Blake. She wasn't sure why her gaze followed the raven haired girl whenever they were near. Maybe it was the air of mystery she had around her. Maybe the way her eyes seemed to pierce through Yang's own gaze when they connected. _Maybe because she seems so lonely…_ Yang mused as she grabbed the stack of books waiting to go up to the second floor. _Her eyes say that she's lonely, at least. Like, life's been hard and she's alone in it all…_ She stopped mid step as the thought flashed through her mind. _What am I thinking? Life's always hard. For everyone._ Even as she argued with herself about how life could treat those unprotected from harsh realities, she felt her heart constrict at the idea of anyone having to deal with it on their own. _Everyone needs a friend after all._

Pleased with the decision, Yang continued her trek upstairs. She used the set of stairs, being faster than the elevator, that were located near the front of the building, though there was another set in the far back as well. They lead her towards an open half circle with a few desks in the middle for computer searches. The open space then lead directly to the more square part of the room where rows were situated shortways across the room, with a central aisle and two smaller aisles in between each segment of shelf. Since this was the young fiction section, the shelves were only five feet tall, making it much easier to spot the big black bow two rows away.

Walking up, smile uncontrollably large, Yang noticed it wasn't just the two of them this time. A younger girl, nervous on what was most likely her first day, stood near Blake, hands twitching anxiously. The youth had a short bob that framed her face with orange red locks while her shorter height made it clear how much younger she was than the others.

The sight tugged at Yang's heart. For a second, a younger vision of her sister, anxious about her first day at Signal, overlapped the new volunteer. It caused the blonde to be predisposed to want to set the girl at ease. She beamed when she noticed Blake was also trying to get the girl to relax as well, melting her heart. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be working entirely. As Yang stepped closer, it became clear why as she overheard their hushed conversation.

"They don't have the really… bad... teenagers here." Blake shifted the books on her cart as she spoke, pausing to find the correct term since some of the teenagers were in need of peace to prevent their more violent tendencies.

When there was no response, she eyed the girl beside her for a second, trying to gauge how she was doing. However, feeling another's presence getting closer prevented her from trying another argument to assure the new volunteer. She spread her feet apart, creating a properly balanced stance, as she started to turn her head to locate the latest arrival. The movement drew the youngest girl's gaze as well but paused at the tall blonde standing there with a wide grin.

Yang made a large show of raising up then slamming down the stack of books in her hands, eyes on the two the entire time. Her beaming expression never changing. At the last second she slowed down enough to not make a sound while setting the books on the edge of the metal shelving, ready to be pre-emptively sorted.

"You bet we aren't so bad. Except for the boys. And some of the girls." The blonde gave the youngest teen a jaunty wink. "But not me. I'm pure gold."

Quick as a whip, Blake shot a line back with a single brow raised and half-smirk in place. "I thought you were pure 'Yang'?" After stating the joke, the hidden Faunus froze, worried how the wit might be taken. With no threat or outward appearance of being upset at the teasing jab, she relaxed her tense form.

Yang felt a thrill in her chest at the tease and leaned back to laugh, remembering at the last second to be quieter. "That too, of course!"

Feeling her core thrum with joy, something it had missed for a while now, Yang winked playfully at the raven haired girl, smile still in place. Then turned her brilliant smile from Blake to the other girl. "I'm Yang. If you ever have someone bother you, you let me know." She thrust one of her hands towards the kid and shook it lightly when it was reciprocated.

"I'm Madeline." Madeline giggled at the situation she was now in. Most of her anxiety was draining away at the obviously playful nature of the older girls she was to work with. She looked between the older girls, excited. "I'm volunteering for the first time today!"

Blake tilted her head, watching the two interact with open pleasure. The article she had found didn't say how well the blonde got along with younger kids, but she was happy to see the care and ease that Yang did have with them. It was also a relief to know that one of the boys or more sullen girls wasn't going to be working with them that day. One less thing to watch for.

Yang picked up on the much more relaxed feeling in the air and leaned closer, whispering theatrically. "Honestly? You probably got like the smartest mentor here, so you're in good hands." The blonde beauty felt successful when the girl she was referencing laughed with a small blush on her cheeks. She watch, grin never losing an inch of its shine, as Blake waved off the compliment and took some books off the returns cart to put away.

With the ice officially broken, Yang was able to get both of the others laughing, though not at her horrendous attempts at puns, as they worked that evening. The very first thing she did was help the new girl learn the library system, much to Blake's amusement. Yang waited until the bow wearing teen had traveled several paces away and was diligently putting books on the shelf to wave Madeline closer. She kept her voice low, as required in a library, as she explained the optimal way of putting books on the cart and back onto the shelf. It was to her shock and embarrassment that Blake snuck up behind her and pointed out a mistake she was teaching. Yang flushed at being caught but didn't stop the lesson, nor admit how she knew it. The dark haired girl merely smirked and continued her tasks, teasing the blonde every so often about the system. It was the most at peace the brawler had felt in a long time.

It didn't last long. A few hours later, Cardin snuck away from his floor to hide among the shelves of the second floor. His taller frame was not easy to hide in the shorter shelves of the floor, and so he kept on the move, head twisting to keep a watchful eye out. Finding no obvious place to duck behind, he bent low instead, causing two sets of eyes to immediately track his suspicious movements.

Yang had a special place for Cardin; the ends of her fists especially liked the way the boy's face crumpled as they made impact. Protectiveness and almost territorial urge shot through her veins, sending her temper into high gear and feet to a quick dash. She didn't bother to hide her presence unlike the other girl who had noticed the lad's odd behavior.

While Yang practically stomped her way to Cardin, Blake's travel was silent and unnoticed. She debated for a half second who she should intercept. This was decided when she saw blood red orbs ablaze. She noticed with a pinch that the perpetual smile Yang had been wearing until that point had dropped away. Sensing an explosion if she didn't hurry, she pushed past what was soundless and tried to reach the blonde's side first.

Rage had a way to speed up Yang however, and she turned around the last corner standing between her and the lad. Cardin was still mostly bent over but had on his 'intimidation' face as he spoke with Madeline. The two were halfway in the aisle, Madeline with books still in hand to be put back, while Cardin spoke furiously with the girl. Slowly, the younger girl's face changed from surprise to fear as she leaned back, eyes darting downward away from the boy's.

It was as he raised a fist that spurred the brawler to be even faster. Semblance roaring to life, Yang charged down the aisle, growing the lad's name in warning. Her steps shook the ground and signaled her approach for the whole of the floor to hear.

Cardin, noticing all these signs, turned in open fright to watch his doom arrive. Yang shot an arm out, wrenching the boy around to slam his back into the shelf behind him. The force caused the bookshelf to shake precariously. The blonde brawler didn't notice as her vision tunneled a bright red onto the reason for her troubles. She raised the other fist, about to make some new dents in his face, when a call rang through the air softly.

"Yang!"

Even spoken in whispers, the voice immediately cut through the searing rage, enough to give the blonde pause as her vision widened out once more. With her senses on high alert, Yang was able to tell that Madeline had moved further away while the owner of the gentle voice was now at her shoulder. She didn't startle at the hand that came into her peripherals but her heart jumped when the soft touch rested on her raised fist.

"If he still needs a lesson, wait until after work." Blake stated flatly, eyeing the lad dispassionately. She looked up to the taller girl, gaze turning pleading. "Let him go…"

Breathing heavily, Yang stared deep into the amber gaze, trying to figure out what the hidden message was that was locked deep inside. As her breath evened out, she released Cardin, right arm lowering enough to not be a threat. Lilac orbs shifted back to the young man, holding a stern warning. As Yang spoke, enunciating each word and letting it finish before saying the next, a comforting grip remained on her hand, helping keep it at her side. "Remember bastard, hands, eyes, and stupid ass comments to yourself."

Cardin nodded as fast as he could, mouth firmly shut, and scrambled away once he was sure they weren't going to say anything else. He didn't try to keep a low profile, the ploy already ruined. The other two girls watched his hasty retreat silently. Blake waited a second to give the boy a head start before removing her own hand from the other girl's and letting it drop down by her side.

When Madeline drew back, uncertain about the situation, it caught both girls' attention. They took in the uncertainty in the younger lass' gaze and tried to loosen their stances. Yang straightened up, bringing her fists to her sides, and froze when the action caused Madeline to flinch. When she tried to make eye contact with the younger girl, she felt a whole open up in her chest at how the younger teen shied away. Yang took a step back, away from Madeline, and turned to try and gauge how Blake was going to react to her little her surprise, she didn't find the usual fear but concern shining in the amber gaze.

While maintaining eye contact, surprised inching its way into her core, Yang felt her heart sink when Blake's eyes widened briefly before jutting away. The raven haired girl moved quickly, zipping silently out of the aisle and towards the front. Despair reigned once more, leaving Yang without any energy or drive. Spirits low, she exited the aisle as well, though she didn't head towards the front, willing to keep her distance from those who didn't want her around.

Blake, unbeknownst to to the brawler, had sought out the librarian who had been sent to discover what was going on and head her off. She lied handily about the cause; their cart, turning too soon, had crashed into the shelving after being chased down the aisles. When the adult tried to find out who had sent the metal cart going too fast, Blake took the blame, explaining she had bumped into it while putting away some books. Considering how long she had been working for the library, the hidden Faunus was given leeway for her excellent past behavior.

Once the grownup was on their way, the Faunus let out an exhale of relief. She turned around to double check where everyone was and felt her heart sink. The mass of wavy yellow locks were determinedly walking towards the other set of stairs while the newest volunteer peeked towards the retreating figure. Blake sighed and walked over to the youth, ready to start patching up things between the three. And to make sure she wasn't about to give away the lies she just told.

Yang didn't hear any of this as she was well on her way to get more books to put away. She didn't try to crack any jokes, kept her words short, and avoided overstaying her welcome in the same space as the youngest worker. It was almost like her very color dulled.

Since she moved quickly between tasks, the others never got a chance to try and talk with her at all. Especially after an adult joined them on the same level, watching the blonde do menial tasks. As there had been a terrorist attack on the harbor, a feat claimed boldly by the White Fang, there was even less visitors than usual as no one wanted to risk being out too late. This meant that there were less jobs for all the volunteers to do.

The CCSP were required to do some sort of work however, and the librarians managed to find them what they could. Dusting shelves, changing posters, straightening books, and anything else the adults could think of. Considering how these tasks were much more boring and liable to be shirked, the adults were dispersed among the different levels of the library, watching.

The children who weren't there because of court decisions were given more free time and leeway. Some took to reading, some went on the computers available for everyone to use, while others browsed. Blake took this chance to convene with Madeline about what had happened that evening.

Yang tried not to stare longingly to the two girls she thought might have started to become friends. It was especially heartbreaking, especially as Madeline reminded her of her younger sister. She would never forgive herself if Ruby looked at her in as much fear. She didn't know what Blake was telling the younger girl, but considering how much thought it seemed to provoke, Yang wasn't sure if she want to.

At the end of the day, just before the CCSP were set to gather, Yang felt a hand tug on her jacket. Feeling like she just popped out of a river, she suddenly realized that the two other girls were nearby, the one tugging her sleeve being the youngest. She froze, turning only her head as she tried not to make any sudden actions that would startle the others.

Madeline let go once she was sure she had the other's attention and tapped her pointer fingers together, uncertainty written all over her face. "Yang, I am glad you were trying to protect me…" Madeline spoke even softer than usual, half eye on the adult that was starting to come closer. "I was surprised… And maybe a little scared. That boy wasn't… nice." Her face scrunched as she thought of the polite way to describe Cardin before finishing her explanation. "You moved really fast! That was surprising."

Yang perked up slowly. Numb senses started to come back to life, hopeful. She twisted to face the younger girl head on with a wavering grin. "Well, uh, yeah, the hero has to swoop in fast to save the day after all." She tried to play up the joke, flexing her arms minutely.

"And here I thought you just wanted to enter with 'Yang'."

The soft tone, every inch oozing with playfulness, came from the blonde's other side, causing her to whip around to face the other teenager. A grin lit up her entire being as lilac and amber eyes made contact. Blake wore a tiny smile of her own, posture calm and collected.

The grownup, noticing the open smiles and relaxed atmosphere of the group, didn't chastise them as she originally planned and continued past them to the floor below. The motion caused the trio to also start their trek to the next level down, though Yang's step had it's old bounce back.

"Ah, I see my masterful list of jokes has been… checked out!" Yang put both hands on her hips, jokes flying fast and free as relief washed through her. It seemed like she hadn't lost her new potential friends after all. "I sure hope they're… returned soon!"

Madeline groaned in mock pain at the poor puns. She pulled out her scroll and yelped. Holding it up, the other girls could see she had unanswered messages from her parents. "I have to go. But it was nice meeting and talking with you Yang, Blake. I'll see you later!"

The younger girl had her own peppy step as she rushed down the stairs with a wave goodbye. Speaking to Yang seemed to have helped whatever was causing her to be withdrawn before, leaving a ball of happiness in the blonde's chest. Even better was how the raven haired girl seemed to not mind at all what had happened. Blake was actually at that moment giving an exaggerated eye roll at the puns the brawler enjoyed. A tiny smirk showed she enjoyed something of the situation. Yang hoped it was the jokes, or even that she herself was in better spirits, but couldn't be sure. She watched as the dark haired girl went for the elevator, pushing the cart in front of her to be brought downstairs.

Yang didn't miss a beat and joined her inside. "So does this mean I'm still in your good books?" She asked with a laugh but couldn't bring herself to look at the dark haired beauty beside her. Nerves rolled off her in waves as she hoped that everything was indeed good between them.

"I don't know, if the book is only horrible puns…" Blake joked in return. Noticing the stiffness of the blonde brawler, she leaned over to bump shoulders gently. She tried not to think about how warm it was in the tiny space or how it seemed to be emanating from the other girl.

Yang relaxed at the touch and smiled warmly before adopting a hurt expression. She put a hand to her heart, half pouting. "Horrible puns? I have it on good author-ity that my jokes are best sellers!"

Blake groaned, playful, as Yang cackled quietly. The blonde leaned over, going with the flow even as her heart began to race at what she was about to say. "Besides, if I tried pick up lines, you'd accuse me of plagiarism. Because you're too pretty not to have heard them all already." Yang whispered right besides Blake's ear. She pulled back, eyes drinking in the sight of the beauty when she noticed the black bow moved. She froze, trying to decide if it was a trick her eyes were playing on her or the wind. She watched the girl until she got lost in how prettily Blake blushed, even if the girl was almost unnaturally still.

"Blake? Remnant to Blake, come in Blake." Yang waved a hand in front of the other's gaze, growing concerned when there was no reaction. When the girl did show signs of life, Yang felt her own cheeks heat up, realizing her words may have been the cause.

Amber orbs slowly redilated as the raven haired teen peeked to the blonde as she continued to face the doors. "I'm sure you could come up with some horrible pun filled versions no one would have dared tried." Blake tried to recover and control the blush on her cheeks.

"Does that mean I'll get more chances to try?" Yang almost seemed like a different person, bubbly and chipper. She could barely keep the huge grin off her face as the ache in her chest filled with an almost forgotten warmth.

"Guess we'll see." The doors opened with a soft ding, catching both of their attention. "Have a nice night Yang." Blake gave the tall blonde a full fledged smile as she exited with the metal cart.

The brawler almost tripped on the way out of the elevator, having forgot where she was for a moment. Luckily her inner balance saved the day and prevented an embarrassing slip. Together, they walked to the front desks to put away the remaining books without speaking in comfortable silence.

None of the other adults seemed to mind that Yang was half glued to Blake's side, even if she didn't do it before. Finished with what she could help with, Yang gave a tiny wave as she walked backwards towards the gathering group of teens. She wanted to watch for as long as possible, trying to unravel the mysterious girl, even if it was silly looking.

Blake smirked at the motion and waved back in the exact manner. She continued on her way and put away the cart behind the desks, making sure the stack of books were in the correct order. She could feel the lilac orbs still on her and glanced over her shoulder with a amused grin at her correct assumption.

Yang ruffled her hair in embarrassment when she got caught staring. Once she arrived at the group of delinquents, Yolanda didn't wait any longer and led them outsides to the van waiting there. The good mood the brawler was in ended after noticing how the other teenagers were boys both sneered at the blonde while the girls purposely avoided looking towards her. Yang dared them to make a comment with a gaze that was growing darker as red seeped into it.

"The Blonde Beauty of Vale strikes again." The long brown haired girl muttered loud enough for the other teens around her to hear. She continued to avoid looking at the brawler directly.

Yang went stiff at the implication. Hesitant to admit how much she already was interested in the dark haired teenager, she tried to shrug it off. Keeping a sharp hold on her temper, she chose to flick off the girl instead, not saying a word.

"Yeah, but when will the Bastard Beast of Vale strike?" Cardin couldn't keep his own mouth shut and added his two Lien to the matter.

They were getting close to the van but he managed to keep quiet enough that it didn't draw their guard's attention. The rest of the teens did catch it though as they started to clump together. They all saw when the blonde's fists clenched tightly and she turned to stare down the lad.

Yang could feel the heat of her eyes but didn't let that deter her. Instead, she imagined how it would feel to just pound the lad into next century. The weight of the mental image came through her glare and shut down Cardin's bravo. Knowing that dirty looks wouldn't be enough for long, she began to plot for the opportunity to demonstrate her annoyance with his 'wit'.

As they piled into the vehicle, Yang used the chance to shove Cardin against the far side roughly. She sat up with a grim smile, a fake apology already being muttered for the adult's sake. When she saw that the boy held his arm in pain from the extra shove, she leaned over and whispered.

"Teaches you to mess with the 'beast'…" She allowed herself a tiny hum of pleasure in her core at the terror that flashed across his face. No longer caring if anyone said anything about it, she leaned back in her seat, thoughts wandering between a pair of amber eyes and tinkle of laughter. _Not too bad of a day I suppose… Not too bad..._

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 **Arthur Note: So I was asked if we can trow a bike at Cardin too while the story was going on. I am tempted, but can't promise anything. I'll probably make a little video for that though. Sounds cathartic. I have read the comics/manga for RWBY, and it goes into a little more detail why he doesn't just get kicked out. Ticks me off some, but I guess it makes sense. Funny enough, before I went back and edited this chapter, it was just about 3,000 words. Goes to show some spit and polish can definitely add to a chapter. Though some of the made up names aren't the greatest, I know. Names, especially in this world, are tricky. Please don't be afraid to review, and I'll see you guys next chapter!**

EXTRA SIDE NOTE: I mention making a video of Cardin getting hit by bumblebee. He wouldn't be the only one. Salem, Emerald, Cinder (she gets 3 or 4 hits), and Adam (who will get at least5 repeats of the hit) are much higher up my list of villians who's ticked me off. Cardin is special in that he is a bully who is manipulative, verbal and physically abusive, and extremely racist. The first we see in the show. So I am using him to help show some aspects of bullies and racists. But the focus of the story IS Adam, Blake, and Yang. I just needed a starting point to show how deep the racist and bullying hole goes. ALSO, Yang is NOT doing the right thing here. She's fallen quite a ways and has more to learn. This is just a starting point, is all. Thank you for your time and reading of this story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authur Note: Sorry for the delay folks! This chapter was really really long and took me a while to edit/go over. I'll try to pick up my writing speed, but ya never know what life has in store for you, you know? Enjoy this doozy of a chapter!**

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Yang sighed, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. She was walking away from the CCSP building at a quick walk. She managed to finish the night without blowing her lid and didn't want to push her luck. Especially after moment in the library aisle… Which she was surprised to not have been caught. She hadn't been all that subtle when she first went after Cardin. Perhaps it was her lucky day. There was only one way to find out.

Making only slight changes in directions, the brawler began to head downtown where the more rowdy clubs. And where the shady ones were tucked away in dark corners.

Yang continued to reflect on her day as she walked. It had been nice to know she didn't scare away two new friends. An unfortunate side effect of her explosive temper was the distance it caused between her old friends and herself. They had known before of her semblance, but only for battle, not having seen her truly get angry. Feeling a stab of loneliness, the blonde pulled out her scroll, silently hoping for some sort of news.

She found messages from her younger sister and father but none from her old friends. Ignoring her dad's messages, she instead selected Ruby's. Instead of questions and demands (something she knew her dad was going to do), she found her sister was rambling about everything and anything she encountered, helping her stay in the loop while not pressuring her to talk about her current situation. Yang rolled her eyes as she finally managed to catch up on the messages and found the few questions that were indeed about her current situation.

 _Same old Ruby…_ The blonde brawler checked the time and figured it would be ok to give her little sis a call. It would be easier to talk on the phone and cheer her up at the same time. It wasn't ringing for a half second before the call was answered.

"Yaaaaang!" Ruby's high pitched squeal brought a wide grin to the older sibling.

"Awww, is my widdle sister happy to tawlk with me?" Yang cooed in return, barely paying attention to where she was walking. She looked to the sky instead, already imagining what her sister probably looked like as they spoke.

She hadn't wanted to distract the studious girl from her work at Signal Academe and avoided visiting. Also to help put space between her faults and her baby sister who showed so much promise for their world.

"Of course silly! I've missed you…" The younger girl's voice trembled as she spoke.

It was enough to draw out a more serious reassurance from the older. "I missed you too kid. But I wouldn't want to distract you from becoming the best huntress out there." She mused, trying to keep her voice light. Her own mind went to how much she's messed up her own future and she flinched at the thought. She couldn't dwell on it long before her sister's voice broke her concentration.

"No way! I bet we would have made a great team if I got special permission to be at Beacon early." Ruby could feel the weight of the silence her statement brought and tried to rush on. "Or maybe we can still be a team when I get to Beacon! You'd still be in the allowed age and maybe we can talk with the headmaster about letting you back in and-"

Realizing how Ruby was almost full on rambling at this point, Yang cut her off with a small laugh at the proposed plan. "Sorry kiddo. It's just not meant to be."

The two fell off into silence, lost in thought and musings. While Ruby was trying to think of someway to cheer her sister up, Yang was losing the battle against the more negative thoughts that had been plaguing her since she was kicked out of school. She tried to find a distraction in her surroundings and stopped, noticing a dark colored bird with what looked like red eyes sitting on a nearby rooftop. She could have sworn the bird was watching her. But Ruby's next words brought her focus on their conversation once more.

"There's an invincible spirit that burns inside you, I know it! So please, don't give up..." The unending optimism shown through even on scrolls as Ruby tried one last time to lift her older sister's spirits.

Yang sighed, emotions warring in her core at the memory of when she used to tell stories about amazing hunters and huntresses. "I don't know Ruby. I'll try to do what I can, but no promises!" She tried to make it a joke but her voice broke as her heart continued to sink.

Ruby sensed it as she remained quiet for an abnormal amount of time for her at least. When she spoke up, her voice was much softer, trying a different approach. "We should meet up, maybe watch a movie. Everything will be ok Yang, you'll see."

"Thanks sis. Try not to fight too much crime on a school night." The busty blonde pretended to scold, laughter already underlining her words.

"No promises!" Ruby half sang back before going to end the call. "Stay safe Yang! I'll call you later?"

"Sure thing. Bye kiddo!" The blonde responded before closing her scroll with a happy exhale. She did always feel better after talking with her sister. Even if half the time she was worried about what Ruby was doing without her looking after her.

Looking up, Yang found herself in front of a seedy bar in the deeper section of Vale. She didn't recognize the name but knew its kind. The building was large, well over three stories tall, with no exterior windows to keep the inside specially lit up.A wide set of double doors was at the front, hanging open and showing a sneak peek of what was inside. Loud music, thumping the very air around them, escaped from the the doorway only. Just inside the entryway was another set of doors, more likely used to give some sort of barrier between the rest of the world and the inner club.

The girl didn't hold much hope that this place held answers for her but was willing to give it a try. She needed to find shady types of people, and they seemed to like the bars and clubs of Vale. Her quest had already taken her to most of the clubs in the city but there were always new ones popping up and more information spreading along. Though the outer guard never seemed to change. The bouncer barely glanced at her fake ID and waved her in. After looking a little too long at specific assets of hers, as usual. Yang barely controlled the urge to teach him a lesson and strolled inside.

All eyes were drawn to her. She practically strut through the mass of patrons who were mingling on the open floor plan. There was no second floor and only the third ring had a half floor on it, with an open segment in the center to hear the dj who was located in the middle of the club. Lining the two of the three walls were bars that stretched from one corner to the other. Without hesitating a step, Yang went for the biggest barkeep there, judging based on the reverence the other employees gave him and the air of importance he tried to hold around himself.

She leaned casually against the black obsidian counter, allowing her shirt to hang low and draw more hungry eyes from everyone around her. The owner could feel the change in the air and glanced over, pausing when he noticed the blonde beauty waiting for his attention. He took his time walking over, speaking casually with some of the other guests, before reaching the girl. He took out a glass and wiped at the insides as he took a long look.

"How can I help you, little lady?"

Yang reached into her jacket pocket and withdrew her scroll, bringing up the one picture she had been able to find of her target. "I'm looking for this woman. Used to be a huntress." She kept the image still as heart pounded. She used her free hang to point at the long dark haired woman with red eyes.

The barkeep spent a moment trying to identify the woman before shaking his head. "Hmmm… Nope. Sorry little lady. Anything else for you?" The grown man leaned on the counter as well with a wink.

Yang adopted a cutesy pout. "But you seem to have all sorts coming here… You mean no one's seen her…?"

The barkeep also pulled a pout, teasing in return. "I appreciate the vote of confidence but we aren't the grape vine."

"Alright, well, who is?" Yang sighed, standing upright. She pulled out a few Lien and subtly slid them over the bar.

The man took the hint and dropped his flirty manner. He picked up the Lien and flipped them back and forth, double checking them before speaking again. He stayed relatively close.

"The man you'd want to find is called Nandor who has Naught." He turned so his palm was facing down. "The Naughts have a zero with a single line cutting through it on the backs of their hands. You see that symbol, you're talking to the right people."

The bartender pulled back, finished with his explanation and turned away, sensing they were done. He gave one last look over his shoulder. "You want anything else Blondie?"

"Yeah, sure. Give me a strawberry sunrise." Yang waved nonchalantly, dishing out another note of Lien and tossing it across the counter. Drink in hand, she used the other to brush back her wild mane, debating her options.

She spun in place, eyeing the crowd, and mused over the new information as she sipped her beverage. The music blasting had a strong baseline, making many around her to bop in place as her own head nodded in time. With a practiced eye, she gazed out among the crowd, trying to spot trouble before it came her way. Spotting a small crowd of teenagers who also probably shouldn't be in the club, she did a double take when some of them looked familiar. Before Yang could either escape or make a move to get closer, a voice shouted her name from her left.

Lilac orbs widened when she noticed who was walking her way. A boy, barely taller than her, tried to wave with his hands full of drinks. He had apparently already been sampling the supplies as his swagger wavered unsteadily. Having been discovered, Yang didn't try to hide and stood up, placing her finished drink down as she waved back.

"Melvan! What are you doing here?" Yang briefly thought to give the lad a hug but didn't, not wanting to spill the multitudes of drinks he was holding. Instead, she put a steady hold on his shoulder and tried for a smile.

"Me and the others were going to celebrate the ending of our mid year tests!" The lad beamed. He saw the flash of pain in lilac orbs and pushed on. "But really, who needs a reason to par-tay? Want to join us?"

Yang pulled back a moment as she fought her resentment of their ability to continue schooling. Looking at the other teen, she recalled how easily he had tried to get along with everyone around him and knew he didn't mean anything harmful by his offer.

"Yeah. Sure, I'll join you guys. You hopping places or staying here?" Yang laughed playfully, the joy not reaching her eyes. She tried to quickly figure out who was among the group and who'd be the more likely to put up a fuss.

"We'll see how our night go; play by ear y'know?" Melvan was too drunk to notice this and lead the way to the other teenagers. As they went, Yang grew more unsure of the decision.

There were five others waiting closer to the dj for their drinks they had the oldest of them to get. There was another two boys and three girls there, a mix of three different teams from what Yang could remember of the groups of her year. While most didn't have a problem with her or her actions, two of the girls definitely would. Something that was evident as Yang and Melvan got closer.

They went from happily dancing in place to growing quiet when they saw the blonde. One of the girls, more nervous than the others from the onset, started to edge behind her partner anxiously. The boys tried not to stare at what Yang was wearing while growing more cautious while the girls (the ones not trying to hide) straightened up and stared coldly back.

Yang knew they hadn't forgotten what she did before and tried to play it off. "Hey guys. Congrats on those tests, kind of happy I don't have to worry about them." She leaned back, both hands behind her head. "I was just here, chilling when Melvan invited me over." She internally winced at how the most timid flinched back at the revelation and continued on. "If that's not cool with you guys, it's ok."

The blonde tried to keep her voice upbeat and easy going, not showing a moment of the hurt she felt at their reactions. The others responded in kind to her relaxed words by loosening up themselves. No one protested her presence as they reached for the drinks Melvan offered to them. Once his arms were free, he reached out towards the blonde brawler.

"Come on, stick with us tonight!" Melvan shook Yang's shoulders playfully.

"You know she doesn't stick around."

The snide voice came from one of the huntress-in-training, grabbing attention as it had wanted. The owner was a young woman dressed for the setting with a short dark green skirt that had a slit in the side to allow for movement and a loose white blouse. On her bare arms she wore wide bracelets on both arms. The lady wore her long dark auburn hair in long waves down her back. Everyone, upon seeing who spoke, groaned in sync while Yang merely squinted in warning. The teen smiled falsely in return and sashayed up closer to the brawler. Yang didn't want to give an inch and stood still, glare growing as her instinct warned her.

"She's just here to find her bitch mother to join their thieving band of miscreants." The snarky lady leaned close, grin widening. "And to rob us of our lives." The girl couldn't stop her smile as she saw red enter the lilac gaze.

The group of trainees shifted in place at the words. Melvan moved from Yang to instead try and stop the other girl. The girl shook off the touch and invaded the blonde's personal space.

"I'm sure that's what mommy dearest would do too…"

Yang had barely held her temper through the first couple of sentences. She knew her old friends were growing ever concerned and tried to hold back.

It was a lost cause.

With a roar, the blonde launched a fist towards the very punchable face, raging clouding her mind entirely. A vague shout barely caught her attention but it didn't stop her. She threw several punches, a yellow hue glowing over them as her semblance activated.

The other girl was ready for the attack, knowing she pushed the right buttons. Her multitudes of bracelets merged and morphed into bracers that covered both her hands and part of her shoulders. She deflected the first two hits and tried to go on the offensive, throwing out her own punches.

But Yang didn't care, knowing it would just make her stronger. She kept up her pace, feeling the rhythm come into play as she slowly gained the upper hand.

Their surroundings were a blur as the two moved, scattering the other guests as they went. Shouts filled the air as the dj changed the tune to be fitting a club brawl. Soon other bodies joined the fray, all against the instigator of the battle. Weapons were drawn, semblances used. Drinks spilled from shocked grips and a thrown body fell into one wall of bottles. An errant dust shot sparked a fire that grew larger with every scrap of alcohol it consumed.

As the building began to catch fire, most of the employees too busy trying and failing to stop the fight to do anything for it, those who were still functioning spilled out the doorway. Most were focused on the yellow haired boxer but there were some who realized the danger and were trying to get the unconscious out of the club.

A thin trail of smoke began to alert the rest of the city of the growing danger. Sirens began to come to life, screaming out their warnings in the late hour. All forms of emergency vehicles were racing down to the club section, alerted by the smoke, noise and panicked scroll calls from those trying to avoid being involved.

Yang was among the first pushed outside by the battle. Surrounded and overwhelmed, she recognized the sound and what it would mean to be caught, again, for fighting. Annoyed, the girl blasted her way out of the encircling group and half way down the street. Free of flying fists, she took off running, adrenaline and her semblance coursing through her veins, letting her keep moving despite her injuries. She ducked through alleys, putting plenty of space between her and the destroyed club.

It was fortunate that she had spend the last several years walking the fringes of the city, searching out clubs and information. It gave an advantage when trying to ditch any pursuers. Soon all she heard was the sound of her own heavy breathing and pounding heart. Unfortunately, a black eye she hadn't realized she got was starting to affect her perception as she ran. While that was already detrimental to being aware of anyone else out this late at night, the person she bowled over already naturally blended into the shadows, especially with her dark clothing and hair.

Still hyped on adrenaline, Yang spun as she fell, regaining her balance while stiffly moving her arms into place. The girl she had knocked into also fell into a fighting stance only to let it drop in confusion in a heartbeat. Neither had made a sound at the impact but that changed as amber orbs scanned the tired girl with open worry.

"Yang?! What happened?" Blake kept her voice low. She scanned the boxer's physical state then focused on their surroundings, nerves building. Her right hand shifted to hover over a gray messenger bag. She moved to a half crouch, ready for whatever trouble the blonde had been running from.

Distance sounds of police and fire trucks echoed towards the duo. Nothing seemed to move in their vicinity however.

Since she had came to a stop, exhaustion began to swamp Yang's mind along with a pleasant warmth at seeing the dark haired teen a second time that day. She let her fists dropped out of their position and wore a dopey smile.

"Heeeey Blake…" Yang felt the desire to touch Blake's smooth hair and went for the compulsion, mind not thinking of what it could come across. She reached out and brushed her left hand through the dark locks, head tilting to the right, with her smile still in place. "You're still stunning…"

Blake froze and stared at the girl in open shock. She was tempted to shift away but for such course hands, Yang's touch was gentle. Her hands were slightly covered in bloody scratches and nicks, adding to the overall worn out and beaten form of the bar fighter. Blake noticed all this within moments as internal mental debates raged, trying to figure out what was going on.

As time worn on however, Blake's eyes squinted in suspicion as the action continued. "Are you… punch drunk?"

"Maaaaybe?" Yang tilted her head to the opposite side with a wide smile. Her hand stopped it's caresses and instead cupped the pale cheek of the other girl. The movement nearly unbalanced the brawler as she began to dip in the same direction, whole body swaying dangerously.

"Yang!" Blake half shouted. She reached out with her right hand while grabbing the blonde's hand that was still on her cheek, trying to steady the girl. Nimbly, she slipped under that arm, holding the injured teen upright. As the full weight of the brawler settled on her shoulders, Blake let out a wuff of air in surprise.

Yang laughed at the sound, throwing her head back dizzily. "Surprised at all this muscle?" She tried to flex but winced in pain.

Blake rolled her eyes but didn't comment on the attempted joke. "Come on, let's get you to a hospital…" She started to walk down the street but found that the other was trying to slump down in dead weight.

The blonde struggled at the suggestion with a half whine. "Nuuuooo! No hospitals!"

"Why not?"

"Because!" Yang leaned closer, serious even in her silly state of mind. "I've got a rep!" She paused, confused by movement under the black bow of the other girl but disregarded it as being dizziness. "And if they see me like this, they'll knooowww!"

Yang gave up looking out of her right eye and just focused looking out the remaining left one to see how the raven haired girl was responding to her pleas. She couldn't stop the heat spreading from her core at the bemused smirk on the other's teen's face. "Besides…" She checked their current location, barely discerning identifying marks, and nodded towards a street across the way. "I live close by. Help a poor girl out?"

The smirk Blake wore expanded into a more playful one. "Of course. Not like you have a previous record of fighting multiple enemies, or all these 'muscles', of course." The teasing remark came out fluidly and the girl didn't seem nearly as anxious about making the joke this time.

Yang's smile grew at how smooth the joke came and leaned her head towards the other. She allowed more of her weight to rest on the slightly shorter girl. "Exaaaactly! I'm so lucky you understand."

The blonde giggled which turned into full laughter when Blake also giggled. Together, they managed to walk down the quiet streets of the lower city. It was difficult to keep balance but they made it eventually. An apartment building soon came into view. It was seven stories tall and appeared just as rundown as the rest of the neighborhood.

Blake tried to orient herself and found they were in the bad parts of the city, though not one that was filled with as many Faunus. The girl radiated waves of confusion at the sight. The blonde didn't seem like the type to live there, even with her violent tendencies. The picture of when she was expelled showed she at least had a caring father.

The brawler tried to keep her embarrassment and shame from her face as she stared at the building. Moving slowly to hide the tense limbs, she gestured that it was the correct location. "I… I didn't want to trouble my family after I was kicked out of school." Yang shrugged, taking the rest of her weight back while reaching for her keys for the front door.

While she didn't want to remove her arm from the very comfy rest on slim shoulders and silky hair, she had to as she continued forward towards the door while her helper stopped several paces back.

Lavender eyes bashfully looked over. "Did, uh, would you like to come up?" She used her bulk to open the doors and pointed with her head towards the stairs that took up most of the center space.

Blake eyed the structure wearily. "I don't think you'd be able to make it up by yourself anyways."

Yang laughed, her chest pinching in pain, but couldn't argue the fact as she felt her legs already cry out at the thought. "I'm on the fourth floor. Try not to get blown away by how much it blows."

Blake gave an over exaggerated head roll at the words but didn't respond, instead moving forward the last few steps to be next to the blonde boxer once more. She gently replaced the blonde's arm over her shoulder and waited for Yang to be ready for the trip. It took a moment to shore up what exhausted strength she had. Once ready, the two girls slowly shuffled upstairs. The late hour ensured privacy to the fighter's weakened state.

The building was even more rundown that the Faunus' own living space; the paint was peeling away on the walls and the stairs were worn down in the middle from use. The fourth floor wasn't any different than the others except that the doors were labeled with four in hundreds slot.

Yang pointed with her head to the correct door. She fumbled with the key, not naturally being left handed, but managed to get it eventually. She tried to put up a few walls at least as the door opened, showing how she was currently living. Yet another reason to never have anyone actually visit her. But this wasn't normal circumstances and she hoped that she wouldn't immediately regret asking for help this time.

Blake resumed helping hold the girl steady as they walked in. Her mind shut down in surprise at what was inside while her body went to autopilot, walking forward. Wide amber eyes slowly surveyed the 'apartment'.

The blonde could feel the change and stiffened, waiting for some kind of comment, gaze turning downwards in shame. She was tempted to try and move away, but could tell it wouldn't end well for her if she tried. She attempted to take an outsider's view but stopped when it made everything seem that much worse.

The room was tiny; it wasn't an apartment but more of a studio room. The kitchen was on the right wall with nothing dividing it from the rest of the room. Along the far wall was a dresser and end table, situated on either side of a futon. Of which the couch and pull out bed had seen better days judging from the worn out frame and flat mattress. Set above the futon was a single window which was open slightly. A door on the left lead to a bathroom, though it too was cramped. In the middle of the room was a flimsy looking table with a plain white envelope sitting on top.

Yang noticed the mail and groaned. Her heart sank at the knowledge that her sister would be going without the cookies as Ruby and their uncle gave as much Lien as they could to the struggling brawler. That knowledge put the girl into a worse mood than her mess of a living space and she grew tempted to kick the dark haired teen out. But so far neither of them made a move, leaving them in a stalemate.

Blake struggled to understand what she was seeing. She had imagined, from how the blonde acted and looked, that she had at least some decent things to her name. The blonde seemed like she came from a middle class family. But this was worse than how some of the abused Faunus lived and they were usually the first to be robbed. She was jostled out of her stupor when the injured fighter started to shuffle towards the table without bothering to wait for the support.

The brawler bent to scoop up the envelope but couldn't maintain her balance. She went to grab with her functioning hand and found she started to tip over in that same direction. She tried to correct it but could only manage to switch which way she fell. So instead of landing on the table or in front of it, she landed on the futon with a painful exhale. Her mess of a mane half covered her face but she was too tired to fix it at the moment.

"Stupid sneaky Qrow…" Yang murmured angrily. She closed her sights tiredly and released as much tension she could with a heavy exhale, tears prickling on the edges of her eyes.

Sensitive cat ears were able to pick out the low grumble coming from the other girl. Even in quiet tones, Blake could hear an underlying sorrow to the words. She noticed how the teen still favored her right arm and winced in sympathy. "Yang, where is the first aid kit?"

"Does it look like I can afford one? Phffftt…" Yang waved her arm to encompass the sparse space. "Can't even afford this place on my own…" Her voice was barely above a whisper, arm going to cover her eyes as she shifted to lay on her back. It wasn't loud enough for normal beings to hear it but she didn't realize the other girl had an advantage in that area.

Blake did her hear and felt another bubble of curiosity build up. "How do they even stay in business? This is an unusual size to rent out…" She tried to keep her voice absolutely neutral as she asked. A flash of red tinting purple told her she hadn't been completely successful.

"By calling them studio rooms. A cheaper option that doesn't provide much space." Yang's voice dripped bitter resentment.

The two fell into an uneasy silence, neither looking at the other. Blake was torn on what to do. She didn't want to walk away but social interactions weren't her usual forte. She wanted to help the injured girl but didn't want to overstep boundaries.

Yang was in the opposite situation. She had been incredibly social but after her expulsion, she had grown anxious about how others perceived her situation or her temperament. It hadn't been easy to ask her uncle to help find a cheap place to live off the grid as it was. Even then she hadn't been able to keep it on her own and had to ask for help.

It was the sight of a weak yellow aura barely flickering over the blonde's form that spurred Blake to action. She sighed softly and went for the kitchen. She felt a single piercing eye on her as she sought something to relieve the likely growing headache of the other. Finding no pre-made ice nor anything frozen to help the swelling, she took a dish cloth and soaked it in cold water. The raven haired girl returned to the other's side and held out the wet cloth.

"Yang, what happened? How did you get so hurt?" Blake kept her voice gentle as she bent down beside the futon.

The girl on the couch snatched the cloth out of the other's grip and scowled. "What do you think happened? I don't need pity Blake." Yang clenched her left arm, squishing the damp towel. "I can sleep it off."

"Yang, these injuries won't just 'go away', especially with practically no aura left." Blake crossed her arms, staring firmly towards the other teen.

Yang started to sit up, face growing dark with anger. "Oh yeah? And what do you know about it? You a fancy dancy huntress or huntress-in-training?"

"No but-"

"Then you don't know anything!" Yang stood the rest of the way up, hands closed. Her voice continued to rise as she did.

The brawler's entire form shook as the room started to close in on her. The attention of the other girl brought a heat to her cheeks and she clenched her teeth, trying to ignore and shut down the feeling. Instead, she tried to shore up inner resolve to stand on her own two feet. Even if they were unstable. As she did, the heat changed to one more akin to her semblance and the fire it brought, warming up the area around her.

Blake was starting to lose her courage at the furious tone. She had straightened up as the blonde had and now found herself in close quarters with the hurt teen as they stood barely a foot apart. She started to back up while Yang's aura sizzle the air in between them.

"I don't need anyone's help! Not yours, not Qrow's, not-not even Ruby's!" The blonde half yelled, eyes going shut. "I don't need anyone!" She bent forward as she shouted, arms bending at the elbow with clenched hands.

Blake's brow twitched as she watched the meltdown. She wanted to run but didn't, having noticed the tears that gathered at the corners of the blonde's eyes. She bit her lip, unsure. It was normal for people to hug those in obvious pain but she wasn't usually one to initiate physical contract.

"Yang…" She murmured while reaching out timidly for the shaking shoulder.

"Get out." The brawler brought her hands up to her face, covering it. As she felt the other's continued presence, she quickly slammed her fists onto the table, cracking it. "Get! OUT!"

The roar echoed in the room harshly. Scarlet orbs went glared at the other girl only to instead stare at the door as it slammed shut. Yang panted as her rage dissipated just as quickly as it came, flickering out. She looked at the furniture under her closed fists and found it was practically broken in half. Growling in frustration, she put both hands under it and pushed up, flinging it across the room with a scream that came from the depths of her soul. She slumped in place, tears now flowing freely, as exhaustion seeped into every part of her body.

"Good job… Fucking Bastard Beast of Beacon doing another bang up job." Yang felt a cooling wetness in her left hand. Glancing over, she found she was still holding the dish cloth. Her guilt swelled, intensifying tenfold. "Damn it all."

She jumped up and forced stiff limbs to function once more. She raced out the door and down the stairs. She barely paused once outside. Fortunately, the extremely late hour meant it was easier to try to pinpoint where Blake was heading based on sound. Hurried steps, barely discernible from the other night sounds, came from Yang's right.

Not wanting to wake the whole neighborhood, she didn't shout for Blake to stop, even as her own body screamed in pain from running. The sound of feather light feet disappeared. Groaning at the loss of the trail, Yang tried to silence her breathing to hear better. Her form tensed at the ingrained sounds of a fight nearby. She felt a pit grow in her stomach when she heard Blake shouting in anger. Yang found her feet moved almost on her own towards where the girl was. She flew around one corner and growled at what she saw there.

A large group of humanoids, presumably humans, with dark blue hoods pulled over their heads to mask their features. There was at least a dozen of them surrounding Blake and a dog Faunus. The dog lad tried to hide behind the teenage girl, shaking. He held his bloody long dog ears close to his scalp, whimpering in pain. Blake had a black sword in hand and was absolutely livid. In her other hand was a black sheath, held half like a tonfa.

Their tormentors didn't stop however at seeing the armed defender. They rushed forward, swinging clubs and maces wildly, while some tried to grapple the girl. Blake was agile though, and ducked under grasping hands, smacking at the humans with the back of her sword and sheath. But there were too many. One managed to grab her right arm while others went for her hair, trying to immobilize her movement by grabbing there. It worked partially. They ended up ripping away the bow at the sharp jerk of the teenager, though they snagged part of her hidden cat ears. Blake cried out in pain and lost more ground in the fight, distracted by the now furious hands reaching for her Faunus heritage.

Yang tried to process what was happening but lost all semblance of rational thought when they caught and pulled at Blake's hair and bow. Feeling her eyes going red immediately, Yang shot forward and bowled over the tormentors. Most were closely clumped together, making it an almost perfect strike. Blake cried out again as their hands were ripped away from her head. The blonde roared at the sound and straightened up, blasting those she had knocked over with shots from Ember Celica. The humans didn't seem to have armor but did have auras that flashed with each blast. Soon they didn't bother the two Faunus as they now had a bigger angrier threat facing them.

Blake, disorientated and wired, fell back, watching the fiery blonde beat the racists with a vengeance. She knew that the blonde boxer had a history of violence, but this was another level entirely. Uncertain if Yang could tell the difference between friend and foe, Blake kept her sword pointed towards those still fighting. The dog Faunus made sure to keep his protector between him and the others but crept closer to speak softly to the cat teen.

"Wh-who's th-that girl?" His anxiety was still sky high as he watched, terrified. "P-please say she won't h-hurt us next…"

The cat Faunus sighed even as she stayed tense. "She probably won't… But you should use this moment to escape to the White Fang Sanctuary." She held up her scroll where she typed out the secret base and shown it to the other Faunus, keeping the screen away from the humans. "Go there and ask for protection. I'll call them as soon as I can to let them know you are coming."

The lad exhaled with heavy relief. "Thank you…" He didn't waste another minute, turning and shooting out of the alleyway. He stayed low to the ground and kept an anxious watch of his surroundings, looking back only once with open confusion.

Blake didn't respond, focusing on the fight. Her ears, freed violently from the black ribbon, shifted at the sounds only to cause her a flicker of pain at the motion. Most of the cloaked figures were now sprawled out, unconscious, on the floor. She worried for a second that they were dead but focused her ears, trying to figure out if they were still alive. Faint breathing was identified, causing the dark haired teen to exhale heavily.

"I'm going to kill you damn idiots!" Yang yelled over the shots she was firing off, closing in on the last few standing members of the hit mob.

The cat teen's heart sank at the shout. She spun to stare at the mess of yellow locks as Yang stalked on the last semi coherent opponent.

The brawler was panting heavily as her arms shook from effort and force. The girl could barely see past the black eye and red haze, though the blue hoods had helped her identify those that needed the lesson. Her body was numb while her veins were on fire. Her boots shook the ground with each step she took closer to her last target of the night.

"YANG! Don't!" Blake called out without moving closer. She gripped her weapons tightly but hoped she wouldn't have to use them.

Yang's face scrunched as the angelic voice broke through the red mist of anger in her mind. She halted, sense of rage and the last remnants of a calm mind warring over her next course of action. She couldn't even remember half of what she had been shouting to the fools who wanted to beat people for being different. Without the furious sounds of combat, she was able to notice the quiet moans and groans of agony of those she had already demolished. The remaining man was sobbing, crouched down next to the far wall of the alley they were in. He held up both hands, palms forward, pleading for mercy.

The cat Faunus sneered at the cries. Her mind flashed to what she had first found in the alleyway; a terrified dog Faunus, fallened to the ground, asked for the same mercy and was given none. The blonde human seemed to think the same as she snarled at the hooded man.

"Mercy?! You don't give mercy to those different to you, why should I!?" Yang reminded the disguised human with a kick to his side. "Don't touch anyone like that again, douchebag!" She had to use the last of her willpower to not make a move towards the now escaping human.

The blonde stayed where she was, letting the waves of emotions run their course before trying to move. She took inhaled deeply, attempting a few breathing exercising before feeling her anger spike at how it never seemed to help her. She could feel the other girl hanging back; the knowledge was like a fire hydrant, dousing what left of her rage and drowning her in despair, having made things worse.

Slowly, nervously, she turned to face the girl she had rushed to save...

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 **Bottom Note: Soooooo... This was a heck of a chapter to write. Two fight scenes that can't be too strong? No super mature stuff? Kay... Though, I haven't really wrote anything like this before either. Also, I've realized I use specific words too much and will be changing some of them out to keep a nice variance going. I have a horrible potty mouth, and I'm trying to make sure it doesn't translate into the characters. Though I imagine as a more brash and violent brawler, Yang says a few more bad things than usual. Hopefully it's not rushing or too nuts. Please leave a review (I like to hear what everyone thinks of stories I write) and I'll hopefully see you guys in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: Sorry for the almost two week's delay. It's been a hectic time and Life never stops. Also seems to just love kicking me while I'm down. So yeah. But hey, have a long chapter to make up for it?**

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Blake didn't dare twitch. She watched the other girl closely, noting when tense muscles loosened but wasn't sure if it was all over. Even the sounds of the beaten were growing quieter as they either passed out or came to their senses enough to be weary of drawing attention to themselves. Golden amber didn't bother to double check on those sprawled around, focusing instead on the mass of yellow locks.

The stillness of the alley broke with a rapid turn of the brawler. Her eyes were a clear purple and her movements were fluid, not showing a hint of their previous pain, as she rushed towards the now anxious Faunus. Yang checked the girl's condition, eyes scanning the lithe body up and down, but paused when she noticed that the boy was missing.

"Hey, wait, where's he gone?" Yang frowned, confused. She gestured with her left hand to help demonstrate who she meant. She stared at Blake, mouth thin and brows furrowed. Her eyes gave away the concern as she looked into amber orbs.

Blake timidly stood up, sensing no outward disgust or hate director towards her usually hidden cat ears were now in the open. "He left once they were distracted…" She trailed off, sheathing her sword as she spoke. The Faunus froze when the blonde did, having realized what it was on top of her head, or lack thereof.

Yang, while Blake was answering her question, had been taking into account all the injuries she saw on the dark haired girl. There wasn't many obvious injuries. Nicks on her cheeks and arms were already healing with her aura's help and the few bruises she had were fading. It was the top of her head that had most of her attention. Instead of the bow there were two adorable cat ears.

The boxer studied them, noting the red lines that laced along the insides and backs of the features. When they twitched at the close observation, she saw the flinch of pain on the other teen's face when they moved. She internally winced in sympathy as her mind finally understood the earlier part of the fight; how the obviously experienced fighter could have been disabled momentarily. It was probably much more painful than having your hair pulled in the middle of a fight.

Blake hadn't meant to let them shift, but the intense silent scrutiny was nerve wracking. They still haven't really talked since the fight finished either, aside from two sentences. The cat teenager jolted backwards a half step when Yang's arm shot forward and grabbed her by the wrist. Before Blake could demand release or ask what was going on, she was dragged out of the alley and down the main road.

Yand's head was on a swivel as she muttered to herself. "I know someplace has to be open still."

"Yang, what-"

"I wish that other guy stuck around. He needed help too…" The blonde didn't seem to realize the other was trying to speak up and continued to think out loud. "...There should have enough for a decent kit…"

"Yang."

"Oh, good, there is something open…" Yang perked up as her eyes landed on a lit up store front. She angled for the both of them to head in the front door, still pulling the other girl by her arm.

"Yang!" Blake's desperate call finally caught the blonde boxer's attention. The Faunus pulled her arm away and was surprised when the tight grip allowed her to escape the hold. "Where are we going?" Blake tried to question once more.

They were in front of a general store that was open twenty-four hours. The storefront was mostly large windows with bars evenly spaced behind the glass. Shelving racks with product on them were just inside, proving an idea what the store sold. The door in between two sets of large glass windows also had bars and a heavy duty lock, but considering the neighborhood, it was more of a necessity than anything. A small sign in the corner of the door showed a circle with two triangles as 'ears' had a large X over the image. To reinforce the message, in neat print below it, was 'no Faunus allowed'.

Yang, still distracted, glanced over to the girl with obvious bewilderment. "Getting a first aid kit since we both know I don't have one." She tried to give a cheeky grin but the action failed as it only highlighted her black eye, the cuts along her cheeks, and a growing bruise on the left side of her chin.

A fact made more noticeable by how amber orbs widened before squinting worriedly. Blake sighed and gestured weakly to the door. "Alright. Go ahead, I'll wait over here." The raven haired girl began to walk to a thin road on the side of the store out of immediate sight. She paused when it didn't sound like the other girl had moved and glanced over her shoulder, face neutral with a single brow raised in question.

The brawler glanced between the Faunus and the door, still confused. It was on her third glance between the two that she saw the sign posted there. Her fists scrunched before she sighed, facing away from the girl.

"Geez…" Yang ran her left hand through her hair, apologetic. "Sorry. Didn't notice. Stupid racist idiot.." She glared at the frame for a second before lowering her voice. "I'll be fast. Then we'll get you patched up in a jiffy."

Hearing who the first aid kit was for, Blake turned around, ears flat despite the pinprick of pain it caused. "Wait, patch me up? What about you?"

"What about me?" Yang tried to wiggle a brow but couldn't stop the flicker of her own pain from crossing her face. She tried to pass it off with a touch of bravo however, jutting out her chin with a saucy smirk.

"Yang, you're in much worse shape than I am." Blake crossed her arms, disbelieving.

"But your ears look like they hurt." The blonde kept her voice low as she eyed the other's wounds once again, letting her worry shine through.

Blake tried to stifle a blush at the concerned words, not accustomed to such thought from outsiders. She kept her arms crossed, tightening briefly as she took inventory of the injuries she could see on the other. "And you have no aura left. I do."

"Fine. I'll make you a deal." Yang leaned closer, pointer finger upright between them. "If I get to bandage your cute ears- er, fix you up, then you can patch me up afterwards." She pointed to herself with her thumb, voice quiet, as she laid out the 'offer'. She had tried to sound laissez-faire but had tipped her hand with what she hoped to do for the teenager.

The two girls stood barely a foot apart, trying to make the other back down through sheer will in the pre-dawn hours. There was a seriousness to the single lavender orb that wasn't usually present, even up to that point, but soft amber wasn't about to give in just yet. If anything, the prolonged staring contest brought a light blush to both of their cheeks as time went on; something about staring deeply into another's gaze was unsettling and connecting at the same time.

Unable to keep up the standoff, Blake groaned softly. It wasn't particularly fair that the lilac orb was able to pull such a puppy dog expression late in their contest of wills. She could sense that she wasn't going to get any other sort of deal or offer that switched the focus on those with a stronger priority. With a gusty sigh, she dropped her stance, unclasping her arms and rolling her eyes, exasperated.

"Fine. Deal."

"Sweet! Stay right here!" Yang tried to pump her fists in celebration but realized she was starting to stiffen up again as the adrenaline in her system faded away. She ducked inside quickly without a second look back, going for speed than gloating in victory.

Blake bit her lip, eyeing the jubilant girl, before diving to hide around the corner, pressed up flat against the dark red stonework. Checking that no one was near, the Faunus pulled out her scroll and called her squad leader, Brutus. They had a meeting earlier that night and it was unlikely that any of them had gone to sleep just yet, wound up as they were prepping for the next big protest. Brutus answered on the first ring, sounding wide awake and surprised to be hearing from the girl already.

Blake didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight for the meat of the issue. "Brutus, I've sent along a Faunus who was attacked by some blue hood wearing humans."

She proceeded to report as much as she could about the lynch mob and how they managed to fend off the attackers. And specifically, who came to help them. The squad leader was startled to hear of a human helping protect Faunus and wanted further details. Not sure what the White Fang would do with that knowledge, Blake didn't answer, merely stating that she was trying to make sure their rescuer was patched up properly before going home for the night. Brutus wasn't entirely convinced. He reminded the girl she should try to find out more about this human and report back as soon as she could. The dark haired girl assured him she would and hung up, nerves strung out and twinging. She was not looking forward to that particular talk.

Yang, inside the store, tried to be as fast as possible. The store was still rather small, with only three rows, and two segments to each. They had bits of food, pathetic toys, and low end medicines. Certainly not pre-made kits as the blonde originally hoped. Going to the register, she found all the stronger health items were kept on the wall behind the staff counter. There was also alcohol products as well as cigarettes stacked there. It was a decent selection considering the size of the rest of the store. With an internal sigh, the boxer walked over and leaned on the counter with her right arm, forcing it to bend as her left hand went to her hip.

"Hey! Do you have any already made first aid kits?" Yang kept her voice light with a wide grin in place. She could feel the bored scan the cashier was giving her and stayed still.

"We don't have any all-in-one kits. We do have the components for sale." He gestured to the wall behind him. "What do you want?"

The blonde girl rubbed her chin briefly as she stood up, glancing over what was available. "Ok… Two of everything, or, uh, 3 of the wrap bandages… Or better make that six wrap sets, one arm sling, and three of everything else." She nodded decisively as her mind ran through the first aid classes she had taken before before going for broke and getting everything she could.

The clerk stared at the girl blankly. "You have the money for all that?" His voice held no real emotion even as he questioned her financial stability.

The teenager smirked and reached into her jacket for the white envelope she still had on her. Inside was plenty of Lien for the impromptu shopping trip, though she mentally winced at the potential cost. She took out the bills and fanned them on the counter, smirking in challenge to the man.

The clerk merely grunted his acceptance and started to pull the requested amounts off the shelving, ringing them up as he went. Once a decent pile had grown, he paused from plucking items down to shove them into bags, then continued with his original task. When it was done, the blonde boxer did flinch noticeably at the cost but paid all the same. The employee rolled his eyes with a half shrug and put all the bags onto the countertop between them.

With a nod of thanks, the girl used her only functioning arm reach for the three bags. They were heavy, but as she only had the left one working, barely, she had to make due. It didn't help her sense of balance however, and she almost fell when she lifted them off the counter. Wobbling, she exited the store and tried to find the other girl while she was still semi-functionally conscious.

"Yang!"

A soft shout garnered her attention back to the alley to the left of the store. Face morphing to a dopey grin, the boxer allowed momentum to help her spin around to face the dark haired Faunus.

"Heeeeey Blake." Yang's words slurred as her mind started to slow down once again.

Blake had heard the sound of the door opening and caught the unsteady wobble of the blonde. Scrunching her nose in annoyance of stubborn people, she walked up beside the taller girl, scolding loudly with her eyes.

"You are incorrigible." Blake chided as she retrieved all the bags from the worn out brawler. She spaced them out by weight on her arms and did a rough estimate based on what it felt like. A large amount considering how she had seen the girl live. Which raised an important question. "How did you even afford all this?"

"My uncle and sister…" Yang was able to stand up straight once the weight was gone. But she couldn't bring herself to look into curious golden amber eyes. "They drop off whatever Lien they can at my place." Her words grew softer, tinted with guilt. "I think my sister sends every bit of her allowance…" She was pulled from her thoughts as she saw twin cat ears moved in thought. She watched, highly amused, as further curiosity built in the Faunus. Except she wasn't sure if she was ready to explain any more than that currently.

Blake fought the desire to unravel the mystery of the brawler in front of her and settled for a calming breath. Stepping up beside the girl, Blake nodded her head, offering her shoulder in silent support. The offer wasn't accepted.

Yang smiled apologetically and shook her head no. She instead led the duo back to her apartment, focusing on keeping her own balance this time. It was a challenge but Yang wasn't about to put more weight onto the Faunus than she could help. They went slowly but it was even later at night, with hardly a soul outside.

The apartment building loomed ahead of them, their last encounter echoing in their minds. They hesitated roughly the same time. When they realized what they did, the girls chuckled nervously. They didn't make a comment about it, much too tired to worry about it at that time. The trip up the stairs was dangerous and even slower than their walk back. When they reached the top, the duo found the blonde's apartment wasn't locked. The raven haired girl raised a brow and peeked at the now bashful teen.

"Eh heh… I might have been in a rush leaving…" Yang murmured bashfully. She tried to run a hand through her hair but failed. She tried to play it off, but only managed to tip to her right briefly.

Blake noticed this and tried to get them moving faster. Once inside, the first thing of note was how broken the coffee table was. It was shattered as well as much farther from its original location. Blake only sighed at the sight and moved towards the futon, setting the bags on the floor beside it. They unpacked the supplies and took stock of what was there.

"Well, I figure, might as well get some of everything. Might be useful." Yang waved a hand jovially, racking her mind for anything odd she may have gotten. She paused at the smirk on the teenager's face.

"Snake anti-venom?" The cat teenager held up the bottle, both brows raised playfully. Her amusement rose several notches at the surprise on Yang's face at the medicine she unknowingly bought.

"Uhhhh… yeah, cause ya never know who'll bite ya…?" Yang tried to both defend her purchase and make a joke at the same time, knowing she was on shaky ground as it was. So she did what she does best, well, second best, dodge! She reached out for the needed supplies, willing nimbleness into stiff digits. "Now let's get these ears bandaged!" She looked at the red lines on the features but made no move closer, waiting for permission.

Blake had froze at the statement and stared back in open shock. She noticed the gloved hand hover questioningly and felt her breath hitch. "You really want to do that…?"

"Yep!"

"To actually touch my ears?"

"Yep!"

"... You won't try to make it worse, will you…?" An old fear leaked out at a soft whisper. Amber orbs watched the other sharply, even as both cat ears flattened at the question, trying to spot any attempt to lie. She wasn't sure if she would actually allow the touch, and found conflicting desires when it came to the wild blonde in front of her. It was barely a second of overthinking later that Blake got her enthusiastic answer.

"What? Never!" Yang dropped the wide smile and leaned close, gaze serious. "Blake, I wouldn't hurt you or anyone like that." She received a deadpan and knew immediately why.

"Blake, the reason why I'm serving time with the CCSP is because I fought Cardin Winchester and his whole team. And they were racist bastards who didn't know when to stop." Yang could tell the argument wasn't enough and added a little desperately, "and they were horrible bullies. Did I mention racist? 'Cause they were."

Blake kept her voice and face neutral, combatting a warmth that was trying to spread as the brawler excused her actions within inches the dark hair girl's face. "And what about tonight? When I first found you on the streets." Blake cut off an attempt to hedge which fight she meant.

The blonde brawler sighed and closed her eyes, trying to prevent her headache from getting worse. And to control her temper that was already warming up at the reminder. She took a seat, trying to keep a calm mindset.

"That was because I was… provoked. Some ex-classmates are still upset that I not only called out Cardin but was willing to beat his face in." She could feel her aura trying to heat up but without any energy, it was just a mild warmth. "So she tried to pick a fight… And got it." The heat fizzled out as the consequences of the fight began to filter into mind. "Beast of Beacon strikes again."

The words were bared on a breath of exhale as Yang deflated in place. The knowledge that police were called meant she was most likely going to be blamed (it was her fault if she really had to admit it) and it was DEFINITELY in violation of her CCSP work. The wild blonde could feel her spirits sinking down into dark spirals. Without realizing it, she had bent over, pulling into herself. A touch, feather light and bright, pulled her gaze from the darkness to the honey colored eyes of the girl next to her. The Faunus had taken a seat beside the boxer and was trying to be supportive.

"Yang… You have to control your temper. Fighting in self defense or defense of others is noble, but letting childish taunts bait you into a full brawl is… foolish." Blake tried to keep her words from sounding too harsh but couldn't find any other way to say it.

Seeing how the words barely made a dent in the downward spiral of the other, she cast her mind to finding some way of cheering the girl up. Recalling her early success with her boyfriend's temper, before they had stared too long into the darkness of humanity, she debated only for a moment longer before offering similar to a near stranger.

"I know it's hard to do on your own but what if I helped?" Blake trailed off as she offered, unsure if it would be accepted or if it was too forward.

Her efforts were rewarded.

Yang sat up timidly, hopeful smile growing on her face. "You mean it?" Sure, the blonde had a sister, father, and uncle more than willing to do the same, but to hear someone you knew for a short time offer, a friend offer, felt different. "You'd… be willing to hang out with me to help remind me to keep my cool?"

The raven haired teen nodded slowly. She hadn't thought about how this task would require they hung out together more often but if it was needed, and could help prevent someone else going down a dark path of hatred… "Yes. If- if you want."

A beaming grin along with a sharp nod was the responding answer. Yang would've shaken her head yes many times but the quick movement wasn't helping her growing headache. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple, trying to clear the pain.

Blake reached out, worried. "Yang, let me-"

"Nuuuoooo! You are first!" The blond firmly whined, plucking the bandages from the girl's hands and holding them against her chest. She pouted at she tried to stare down the other girl with her one good eye.

Blake sighed and dropped her hands into her lap. "Fine. You may touch and bandage my ears." She kept her eyes closed as she spoke, trying to stay relaxed even though she knew contact was imminent.

"Really? Thanks Blake, I'll be gentle, promise."

The joke, and saucy tone, caused the raven haired girl to peek one eye open and glare. Seeing the other's hand reaching out, she closed her gaze once more and waited.

Yang moved slowly, knowing she'd regret it if she did anything that hurt the other girl. Not knowing what damage was done, she decided to feel the ears first, to identify where they hurt. The black fur was silky in her hand. She started by touching only the tops of them, instinctively knowing the Faunus needed to accumulate to the sensation of her hand.

The ear she had her hand on violently twitched away but was back upright in seconds. The blonde waited a moment before brushing along the edge of the ear and did a full search for any nicks or bruising. She kept her movements gentle and slow. She found some but wanted to judge their seriousness by watching the girl's reaction.

Blake's stance loosened from an awkward tension to one of enjoyment. Barely flinching at the surprising gentle carases, she wore a blush with a tiny smile at the sensation. Her gaze had stayed shut but her hands were sprawled by her sides, unclenched and stationary.

Pleased that nothing too drastic had occurred, Yang let go, ignoring the urge to frown at having to let go of the smooth fur. She double checked everything she had before moving it close to the cat ears. She tried to keep the work fast and as painless as possible. After antibiotic ointment was on the cuts, the majority of the cat features were covered in pristine white cloth and gauze to keep it from getting dirty.

This had three unintended side effects. The first was that Yang could no longer feel the fur without feeling the bandages, sending a spike of anger in her at the knowledge that someone had dared to hurt the girl. The second was that Blake found some of her hearing became muffled by the wraps, throwing her senses off for a second as she had to adjust. It culminated in the third effect: distracted, neither girl realized how close they now sat nor that they both missed the sensation of rubbing cat ears.

Yang's arms ended up being the thing that broke the moment they were in. Being upright and stretched forward, they cried out in pain, the very bones feeling bruised from overuse and abuse. She allowed her arms to drop wearily, ignoring the sinking feeling at having to let go, and took a shuddering breath. She blinked, checking the other girl's response to her ministrations.

"Liked that huh…? They were really soft." Yang spoke sleepily with a half grin, blush spreading over her cheeks admitting how she too liked the sensation.

"I've… always liked when my ears are petted…" Blake couldn't keep her eyes on the golden haired beauty and turned to the remaining supplies. "And your hands were really warm." The last sentence was so quiet it almost went unnoticed save for the fact they were so close to one another.

"Well, I have always been hotter than most." Yang tried to remove any remaining awkwardness with a joke and teasing wink of her good eye. "Guess it's my turn now…"

Blake nodded solemnly, wearing a small grin as she shifted backwards. The teen was just as hesitant to hurt the battered brawler unintentionally and kept her hands light as she administered first aid. She started by assessing the injuries for priority. Most of the cuts were already scabbed over, most likely from before her aura ran out, and only needed to be covered to prevent further harm. Next came setting the fingers, wrists, and arms of the blonde; they needed to be splinted and given an ointment to cool off and soothe the bruises. Then she put them into a large blue sling to restrict their movement.

Yang's torso were covered by large bruises but what it difficult was that it was likely her ribs were just as bruised. They spent a second being embarrassed by the need to see the lower half of the blonde's torso at least for the medical aid. Yang tried to throw out a few puns but Blake just shut them down with a flat stare. A heavy blush countered her attempt at nonchalance.

The Faunus attempted to do a wrap to hold the ribs still. It was difficult to judge what was too tight and not enough, and she tried to use Yang's reaction to find the balance. There wasn't much more she could do aside from hoping that the ice packs were ready for use soon and getting medicine to dull the pain.

Knowing that most pills were tasteless or nasty to have without something to wash them down with, Blake fetched the beaten boxer a cup of water. She then went for the plastic bags for the best option, deciphering the scientific terms for the strongest pain killer in the bunch. Finding it, she popped open the container and spilled a few into her hand. The blonde who they were for had sprawled over most of the couch, eyes shut, and hadn't glanced over at the sounds the Faunus was making. A sign that sent a knot of worry to grow in the dark haired girl's stomach.

"Yang, take these before falling asleep please." Blake asked, holding out three pills and the cup of water.

Lilac orbs opened drowsily with a teasing smirk. "But someone's wrapped up my hands." Yang could barely lift her arms with how tightly they were strapped to her chest. "Could I get some help?" She wagged her eyebrows playfully.

Blake rolled her eyes but conceded. She dropped down to her knees and set the cup to the side. Using her free hand, she helped the blonde sit up and held out the pills. "Open up."

Yang followed the command with a playful squint. She stuck out her tongue with the appropriate childish sound effect. Her eyes shot open, however, at the feel of dry circles dropping onto the outstretched tongue. They were already trying to dry out her tongue and left a nasty taste in the few seconds they rested there. A drink was quickly brought forth, though she could see the bright scarlet cheeks of the raven haired girl through the clear liquid. She allowed the motion and gratefully gulped water. The boxer wanted to think about what had just happened but the taste of medicine wouldn't let her ignore the drink to try and tease the helping girl. Finished with her drink, she leaned back, away from the cup, with a happy grin.

Blake didn't wait for a reaction or comment and shot up from her seat to dispose of the empty glass. She could feel the burn of embarrassment at her childish response to the goofy nature of the other girl. Knowing it was too early but needing to cool down somehow, she opened the freezer and checked the ice packs. They weren't ready but the cold air helped chill the teenager. She went back to the blonde and found that a bright lavender orb followed her every movement.

"There isn't much else I can do. You need to sleep." Blake flatly stated once she was within a polite distance.

Yang nodded, exhausted, barely able to keep her eye open. "Sure… It is pretty late." Having mentioned it, the boxer grew more alert at the thought. "Wait, you're not going back out are you!?"

When Blake stared back, confused, Yang struggled to get up, causing the dark haired Faunus to rush forward. "Don't get up." She tried to scold and reached out to prevent the blonde from fully standing. "What else would I do? I need to sleep too."

Yang bit her lip, deciding to go with the first thought she came across. "S-stay? I- You could sleep on the futon and I'll-"

"You will not sleep on the floor!"

"Well, you can't because you're the guest!"

"Well, you're hurt!"

"Well, you're- why can't I keep my eyes open?!" Yang tried to put force behind her words but the medicine started to kick in with a vengeance, forcing her attempted stern look to be more sleepy and droopy instead. She couldn't even stay upright as her head felt a thousand times heavier, tilting down.

"I gave you a pain medicine that helps boost your aura levels back up at the same time." Blake didn't move, watching for any other rash decisions or movements with both hands out cautiously. "But you have to sleep for it to start taking effect."

"Great… So you can leave whenever you want and I'll be too out of it to even argue…" Yang slumped before going to stand up. She was stopped by a pair of anxious hands. "I was going to pull out the bed…"

At the answer, the resistance was gone, allowing Yang to stick a leg to hook on a bar, pulling the frame to expand out. The furniture already had a cover on it, and the two pillows it had could have been easily used for sleeping as well. The teen backed up as she expanded the furniture and now stood on the edge nervously.

"There's… There's plenty of space. If you want to stay. Just- just to sleep." Yang couldn't bring herself to look at the Faunus as she spoke. As much as she wanted to flop face first onto the bed, she could tell the strapped arms would be more of a hindrance than help, and had to roll onto her back, shuffling awkwardly towards the wall.

"Yang…" Blake sighed. She tried to think of arguments why she couldn't stay but could feel the late hour drain her energy.

There was indeed enough space on the bed for two, even if they stayed on the edges. It looked uncomfortable but Blake wasn't sure she could make it back to her place. Dropping her bag to the ground, she hopped onto the bed, feeling her tired limbs release their tension. She was about to wonder if there was a blanket when she noticed the large amount of heat coming from the other teenager.

Worried, Blake turned to face Yang and brushed away the yellow bangs. She found a single lilac orb staring back, wide and shocked. Not letting it discourage her, the Faunus felt the other's forehead, anxiously frowning.

"Yang, you're burning up." Blake whispered, gazing deeply back into lavender.

"I- I always run hot." Yang licked her lips, trying to remember how words worked. She traced the loose locks of black with her eye and wished her arms weren't strapped down. With how they framed Blake's face, Yang found herself lost in golden amber orbs. _Such a bright gold…_ Instead of focusing on that thought, she was able to muster a half grin.

"I'm your very own personal space heater!" Yang watched the anxiety fall away from the helping girl and relaxed in turn. "If you are cold, the blanket is on the floor, by the bed." She flicked her eye to help give direction to the offering. "Or you could use your personal space heater for warmth instead. Or both." She tried to wink but found her eyelid wouldn't open up again.

Blake rolled her eyes at the joke but did relax since nothing was wrong. Amused and a touch flustered by the offer, she reached for the blanket and found it to be a fluffy yellow comforter. She put it over both of them and found that Yang's natural heat took care of the rest, filling the bed with a soothing warmth. It wasn't long before she started to fall asleep as well, subconsciously inching closer to the source of heat. She hadn't been that warm since she was a young girl living in her home country of Menagerie; it promised to be a restful sleep…

-Elsewhere, that same night-

The White Fang base was layered in sections to make it more difficult to break into. The first two floors had empty rooms along the sides that were needed to pass through to get to the next inner part, which felt more like a weapon's depot with stacks of dust and basic weapons ready for use. In the center was a staircase and large elevator that went to the floor above and the two hidden floors below. The first floor underground was more lived in rooms; medic stations, a basic kitchen, dining area that served as a connector to the other locations, and a large training room specially padded for grueling work. Below that were sleeping quarters and emergency exits that led to sewers and a drain pipe. These exits were also carefully guarded, least it become an entry point for intruders.

The base teemed with life at all hours of the day, the Faunus inside taking turns in shift to be awake and prepared for any outcome. The kitchen always made basic meals every four hours unless there was absolutely no one there. But even at midnight, there was two dozen members awake and eating. Of the four tables scattered in the open room, more sat around one table, while the rest of the tables had a smattering of people sitting about. Almost none wore their masks aside from a red haired man who sat at the head of a rectangle table. The rest of the seats were full and each person seemed hyper aware of the charismatic bull Faunus.

Adam, still wide awake for the night, basked in the praise of those around him. He ate languishly, with deliberate movements, as he eyed those around him from behind his mask. The others had their own food in front of them but they barely touched the meal as they spoke in excited whispers to one another. They were speaking about Adam and his various feats of prowess. It had been another successful night and Adam had been the star once more, taking initiative in their war on humanity. Knowing it was better to have others toot his horn, he stayed silent, pleased half smirk flickering on and off his face.

The elevator doors opened silently, and a flurry of movement spread out soon after. Guards stood further at attention while some Faunus raced ahead. Those eating turned in a wave, starting from closest to the entrance to those farther away. Even Adam's table grew curious.

The first thing to see were a set of guards, weapons ready and alert. Then came Brutus, still in his combat gear and mask, who was helping up another Dog Faunus with ears hanging low. The civilian showed signs of a heavy beating. His gaze was constantly on the move while hugging his arms around his waist tightly. Another pair of guards came afterwards, just as weary. Together, the group went for the nearby med bay and disappeared inside.

Adam allowed his usually stoic features to change to concern. He half stood up, hands on the table top. "Brutus! What happened?"

The leader of their squad didn't seem surprised at the call but didn't pause in his steps. He held up a hand pleadingly. "I will be back to answer any and all questions once we've got things settled."

Only barely pleased with getting some kind of answer, the red haired man sat back down, watching the flurry of motion caused in their wake. Another Faunus, mask in place and rifle hanging from his hip, rushed over to the charismatic bull. He leaned close, hoping to impressive with his knowledge and forth giving.

"That Faunus was just attacked by a lunch mob of humans!"

The others at the table straightened in their seats at the exclamation, gazes hardening.

Adam allowed a single fist to show his anger as it menacingly clenched shut on the table. "Any word of the humans who must pay for their actions?" His words were barely discernible from the low growl they came out as.

"Not yet. They wore some sort of blue hood on their heads." The off duty guard glanced up and stood back in deference as Brutus walked over to the table.

Brutus nodded to everyone there, standing by the 'head' of the table, before focusing on the bull Faunus. "The Faunus was attacked on his way home from an evening shift by a group of humans. They mentioned 'retaliation' before he lost track of what they were saying." The squad leader's ears flattened briefly before going upright. "Sister Blake found them on her way home and defended our Faunus brethren from these ignorant attackers."

Hearing the cat Faunus' name, Adam's spine stiffened, his mind growing hazy as he ran through her usual path home and trying to think of when it could have happened and where. His frown turned deeper as he thought. Distracted, he didn't notice the uncertainty of the older fighter, though Brutus' words did manage to sink through the building rage in Adam's mind.

"It seems… Another human joined the fight, helping defend Sister Blake and the young man they had caught unaware. We don't know who it was; Owou, the original target of the attack, said she was extremely strong and violent. And blonde." Seeing no signs of recognition on the other's faces, Brutus shrugged. "I don't know someone like that either. We don't know why this human would help so don't take any chances. Better to expect the worse than be caught by surprise."

The rest nodded and went back to their meals, subdued. Finished updating his squad, Brutus walked away, going to report to the other leaders about what had happened. Everyone settled back into place but light conversation was now a low tensed hubbub.

Adam barely heard the rest of his leader's words as fury tore through his mind. He could feel his aura reacting to his state of mind, flaring up and going on alert. His arms shook as his mouth drew back in a silent snarl. _Blake works with me! Not some blonde bimbo HUMAN! Why would she ever work with a human?!_

Ignoring the others at his table, the young adult reached into his black coat and pulled out his scroll. Flipping it open, he didn't see any messages or missed calls from his partner, sending another spike of anger through his center. Taking a deep breath, he rose and walked to the elevators.

"Where are you going?" One of his squadmates questioned, half standing as well. Everyone's gaze was on the fiery redhead.

"I'm going out to patrol. We should have pairs do rounds in the city to prevent something like this from ever happening again." Adam paused, right hand a tight fist while the left rested on Wilt. He looked over his right shoulder, showing his scowl and frustration. "No Faunus should be afraid to walk home."

Adam could feel the others watching him leave with reverence. Even the guards stepped aside for him. He didn't bask in the feeling as he normally did, desiring a specific admiration and knowing that he wouldn't get it until he found Blake. Adam paused only long enough to report that he was going to do a scouting patrol.

He wasted no time after that and left the base, footsteps sure and quick. Since he hadn't heard anything from Blake, he went for her apartment first, reaching for the extra key he was given when she got the place. He remembered the bashful expression she had worn when giving it to him. She had talked with the bull for a long time, debating and deciding if and where she should get a place. It was only after she promised to always allow Adam into her place and life that he allowed the plan to go through. But he made sure the girl never forgot his presence and his scent never faded from the apartment. The young man couldn't stop the smirk that grew on his face along with a thrill of pleasure at the control he had over her. The mood soured when his mind turned to present times.

It wasn't long ago that Blake would have immediately reported what happened to him after speaking with the higher ups. If he hadn't already known, having been with the girl the entire time. _Guess it's time to remind her of how things are supposed to be…_ Adam mused as he unlocked the door and entered without knocking. So long as Blake hadn't lost her touch, she would know someone had entered and come out to greet him.

Except that no one did. There was no one in the bedroom and the air in the apartment was stale by a day, though his sense of smell wasn't as keen as some Faunus'. No books left out, no dishes in the sink, and Blake's bag wasn't by the door like it normally was. No sign of the cat girl.

The bull Faunus' gripped his sword tightly, head swiveling as he took in every detail he could. This wasn't like the Blake he knew at all. And that knowledge drew a snarl from the young adult. She was too good of a fighter to be down and out. He knew that she wouldn't have gone to the hospital, another reason why they had medicine stations in their base.

Adam pulled out his scroll once more and sent a few querying messages to the missing girl. Not waiting, he turned in place and locked the door behind him. For a moment, he was tempted to just leave the door open and unlocked, a harsh lesson. Glaring at it, he decided that it would serve as a solid lesson later, if it was needed.

He moved silently, rushing down the stairs and out the door. He went around the corner and jumped between the two buildings, hopping up to the roofs with ease. After several months of using them for missions, the top tier fighters had memorized the layout, able to travel them just as well as they could roads. No one was out at this late hour, not even those who preferred to roam the night were out. The young adult scoured the neighborhood then branched out, hoping to find where the fighting had taken place. He started with the route Blake normally took and grew more disappointed when nothing showed up.

Breaking a few shingles with a punch, Adam spread out his search, starting from one corner of the poor section to the other. He sped across the tops and almost missed the place where Blake had fought without him. It was further away from the main areas of town, on the edge of even the slums, nowhere close to any White Fang territory or Blake's residency.

The alley was decimated by the fight that had occurred. He raised a brow at the scene, almost impressed. Scorch marks were scattered around the area, though it didn't seem to reach a spot midway down the alley. _Rescuer… All humans ever do is lie. I bet it was a ploy to get Faunus to trust them._ He walked through the scene mentally, imagining the fight as it may have happened. Tiny spots of red in the fight area demonstrated how strong the impacts were. Trash cans were knocked over and huge chunks were torn out of the ground. But there was still no sign of the dark haired girl or her supposed 'rescuer'.

Annoyed, Adam tried to call the girl directly. When she didn't pick up, he tried two more times. Still no response. Frustrated, he almost crushed the scroll. Just as the edges started crack, he slowly loosened his grip, as his eyes unfocused. His shoulders began pump along with his breath. A single sound effect broke his rage induced concentration. The scroll in his hand showed a message, waiting to be read. He stood up, not realized that he had bent so low in the first place, and opened up the device. It was from Brutus, asking for an update as he heard the bull Faunus had left to patrol. He responded with the exact location of the fight along with a picture of the scene. Once done, he set out, mind buzzing with ideas on how to best convey his displeasure at Blake's lapse in judgement once he found her.

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 **Author Note: Soooooooo... I really hate Adam. I see and am reminded of so many bullies, racists, and jerks I've known in my life that it ticks me off. Really does. I like how the show handled him. Writing his part was pretty hard. I didn't want to get into the head of a manipulative jerk, but hopefully I've shown it decently at least.**

**I've run out of the pre-made stuff. Work can vary in how busy it is, so I don't always have time to just sit and write up chapters ahead of time, so we're in that funky stage of me writing as fast as I can while editing (and adding) extra 2,000 words (sometimes just double the total amount) to the chapter. So updates may be a little meh, but don't worry. I ain't stopping just yet. : ) Thanks for reading, please leave a review (I like to know how I'm doing) and have a nice day/night!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: Hey guys. I know it's been a long time since I updated this story. There's a lot of reasons for it, but I will get to that at the end. Enjoy this chapter! Know that Adam was kicking my creative butt (along with other reasons). \\_ -.- _/**

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Morning came all too soon for the resting girls. They had been used to sleeping in drafty apartments, cold and alone. This time though, they were much warmer than they usually were, along with a sort of comfort one can only find in cuddling with another. That morning seemed brighter than usual, even if they had stayed up way too late the previous night. The light couldn't actually reach the sleeping duo since the building was too close to its neighbor.

But that wasn't what woke up the blonde brawler. The neighborhood wasn't the most savory and was at times quite loud in the morning. Yang had first woken up with a start but could feel herself pinned to her in place. She peeked to what was the cause and stilled, heart beating rapidly.

During the night, Blake had moved towards the heat and gotten comfortable. She had nuzzled into the blonde's side, hands curled between them, and head tucked into the boxer's side. Her cats ears tickled the blonde's right arm and practically begged to be caressed once more.

Yang was torn between adoring their current positions and dismay that she couldn't move her arms to reciprocate the unexpected cuddles. But her arms, though already feeling better, were still trapped in slings. And it was torture. So the blonde devised a totally foolproof plan that would NOT wake up the Faunus and finally free her arms.

Tiny wiggles.

It was tricky as her fingers were in splints, but if she loosened the clasps holding the slings together, she could move her arms once more. The left side was easier as there wasn't anyone extra sleeping on that part. The wiggles weren't threatening to wake up anyone, so she was able to move more excessively. Her left arm was now free of the sling and able to help the one that was pinned by an adorable Faunus.

She attempted to reach the hardest clasp on her right arm, the one near a set of bandaged cat ears. Slowly, she reached over and undid the strap closest to her elbow, then in the same retracting move, undid the one by her wrist.

Both arms tingled slightly as they shifted after being restricted for hours. Yang fought the urge to shake them out and instead continued to move slowly. Her new goal of cuddles with the very cute girl curled into her side.

Blake grumbled at the movements, still asleep, but accepted a closer shift to the blonde brawler. Yang gave a tiny exhale of relief, smiling at successfully keeping the other asleep. She wrapped her right arm around the other's torso, gently pulling her close, while her left draped over Blake's shoulders. Yang was tempted to run her hand through the dark locks but felt it might be pushing her luck. For now.

But the reception to the the embrace was positive. The cat Faunus seemed to melt in the extra warmth, the last bits of tension leaving her form.

Yang was now even more tempted to run her hand through the dark locks but settled for nuzzling her face there instead. Comfortable, she went back to half slumber, the girl who managed to catch her eye in her arms. Her mind came to a stuttering pause as it analyzed the emotion behind the thought. Realizing it ran deeper than she expected from knowing the girl for only a few days, Yang felt a spike of anxiety. _Would this burn me too in the end? Maybe… Maybe it's time to give it a shot anyways…_ She felt the rightness of the choice and enjoyed the spark of hope it lit in her chest. Smiling widely, she settled into the hug and fell back asleep.

A few hours later, Blake was regaining consciousness leisurely. A large warm hand was running through her hair while another was on her back, thumb rubbing back and forth in place. _Adam hasn't done this in a long time… I forgot how it feels…_ Stretching in place, the girl took a deep breath, grin growing at the thought of having spent the night with another, before it slowly disappeared into a confused frown. The person in her arms didn't smell of metal, leather and a sharp masculine tint. They smelled of fire, gunpowder, and a light flowery scent. Breath hitching, Blake's eyes shot open as her entire body stiffened, trying to understand in an instant why the scent was so close.

A mass of gold blocked most of her vision. The large bosom of the boxer was acting as a partial pillow for the Faunus. The realization sent her cheeks aflame, especially as a tiny part of her mind thought that it was very comfortable. The hands that had been administering soothing touches stopped but didn't release her. Her mind sorted through the previous night's events at an agonizingly slow pace considering how their proximity. Light amber orbs trailed away from the other's torso and shifted up, stopping to lock gazes with the peace filled lavender.

"Hey… Morning. Did you have a nice cat nap?" Yang's face broke out into a shit eating grin at the first pun of the day. Especially at the groaned it had elicited.

Blake shoved the girl and leaned back, though not far enough for the extremely warm arm to leave her back. Even as she tried to scowl at the out of context joke, her eyes showed the amusement she tried to push down, not willing to encourage the dad style jokes. "I see someone is feeling better."

"Loads! Thanks for the help Blake. I appreciate it." Yang couldn't stop smiling. She tried not to let the splash of disappointment show through at how the other moving away. They hardly knew each other after all. "How are your ears?" She was about to reach out with her left hand to touch the covered ears but stopped, not willing to push boundaries just yet. Though she asked with her eyes if she could touch them.

Amber orbs stared back wide and unsure. Blake couldn't maintain the contact and allowed her sights to wander. She noticed that the outstretched arm dropped back down, stretched across the blonde's stomach and resting barely over the Faunus' arms that were still curled up. Where it rested heated up pleasantly.

"My aura wasn't completely drained. I'm fine." Blake paused in her self analyse and realized a crucial fact. "Yang…" She drawed out the name, eyes squinted threateningly.

The blonde could sense the danger in the tone and tore her eyes away to look at the ceiling, attempting for nonchalance. She fought desperately to prevent a grin from spreading on her face even in the face of danger. She even felt a hysterical giggle try to bubble up.

"Why are your arms out of their slings?" Blake's voice held undercurrents of disbelief and annoyance, despite it's mostly neutral deliverance. Her brows shot up when she spotted bits of wrap on the bed and the straps still hanging off the blonde's neck. They came back down in frustration to punctuate the scowl she sent the golden maned girl.

"Well, I mean, they're much better! Hardly feel any pain." Yang flexed her left arm to demonstrate but halted at the glare she got. She put the limb back with a sheepish grin.

"How about we decide that after removing the bandages." Blake flatly stated as she reached for the ones on her our ears. She had to move cautiously as the two were still rather close on the futon.

"Ahh- wai-"

Hearing the cut off sputter from the brawler, the Faunus paused, ears halfway free. Yang's face was half shock and half disappointment that she quietly schooled back to neutral. She pulled even further back, biting her lip.

"Uh, never- never mind." The golden haired boxer stuffed the urge to help (and pet those soft ears again) to the back of her mind. She settled for watching the unwrapping and released her breath at how clear and free of nicks they were.

Blake saw and rolled her eyes playfully. She bunched up the bandages as she spoke. "See? I'm fine. Your turn." The girl tried to ignore the loss of warmth as she moved to sit up, out of the other's embrace. She waved up for Yang to do the same and reached out for the wrapped up limbs.

Together, they unwrapped the brawler's arms and head. The bruise colors were fading and much smaller across her whole body. Any cuts were now scabbed over and wouldn't need as heavy wraps on them. With each unwrapping, Yang seemed to relax as more of her body was no longer restrained.

Blake ran her hands over each of the blonde's limbs, trying to judge how they were after a night of rest. She kept her touch featherlight, not wanting to put unneeded pressure no any potential injuries. She had a half eye on the patient to see if there was an issue as she moved. She tried not to wonder about why there were goosebumps followed after her fingers and also studiously ignore how soft the blondie's skin was.

Finished with the arms, they shifted focus to the rough hands still in splints. The cat teenager tried not to think of how they felt running through her hair. Removing the pieces of wood and tape, they saw that the swelling was down around the knuckles, and were back to their normal white instead of the bruised purple and red. They were still as warm however. She turned them back and forth, studying the large palms, noting how despite the fights Yang got into, they were mostly unscarred. Calloused, but still incredibly soft. With a start, the raven haired girl realized she still hadn't let go after looking them over. She dropped them as if burned and tried to ignore the heat blazing on her cheeks. Blake leaned back and took a deep breath, building her center of calmness.

Yang clenched and unclenched her fingers, relieved. She gave the dark haired teen a cheeky wink. "I know I've got big ol' hands, but they give great massages I swear." Her grin expanded at the darkening of the other's cheeks. "I… I think I can get my ribs on my own, unless you want to help…?"

"It'd… It would probably make it easier and not hurt to do so…" The Faunus tried to keep her mind blank when it came to check the blonde's chest and stared directly into purple eyes instead.

"You just want to put your paws all over me eh?" Yang winked while reaching for the bottom of her shirt. "How can I say no to such a pretty face?"

"That's not-! Ugh, you are ridiculous." Blake rolled her eyes and huffed. She could feel the hairs on the back of her head raise up at the tease. She couldn't help herself and softly backhanded the blonde in the side, hoping to share in her 'misery'.

"Oof, hitting an injured helpless damsel!" The brawler raised a hand to her forehead as she swooned.

Blake could tell the jokes wouldn't stop and went for a 'cooler' option; staying silent and aloof. She waited for more of the shirt to rise up, keeping her eyes trained on the white of the wraps. She slowly undid the work and eyed the injuries there. The ribs were on the mend, though a little tender, and wouldn't need to be restricted either. All good signs.

"I guess, if you aren't lying, then you are probably fine to do anything today." Blake pulled back, collecting all the used bandages into a ball and setting them aside. She saw the other teen shift, smirk growing on the red cheeks, and guessed what the next comment would be. Blake snapped to face Yang head on and teasingly glared. "Except fighting. No fighting."

"Well darn, there goes my evening free time." Yang snapped her right hand with one eye closed, the other was full of teasing mirth. The playfulness drooped at Blake's unamused stare. "Too soon? Too soon." The boxer let go of the teasing nature only to be surprised at a shove from the dark haired Faunus.

"Come on, before you think of any other outrageous plans to try out." With a happy hop down, Blake went for her bag, mind on getting ready for the day. She paused when she remembered she didn't have anything extra here. No different set of clothes, no toiletries for morning cleanup, not even a book.

Yang noticed the stop and looked over. Gaze flipping between the teenager half way reaching for her bag and the bag itself, she smacked herself in the forehead as she figured out what was the issue. She dropped off the futon and shot towards the bathroom, hoping against hope that she had extra supplies to clean up with at least. She praised every lucky star she had; her family had indeed sent extra toiletries when she moved out.

She rushed back out, coming to a jarring halt in front of the dark haired girl, only barely out of breath. "I- I got some extra, totally not used, toiletries stuff! That you could use. My clothes probably won't fit though… Unless you find something you'd like?"

"I think I can survive one day without changing before work." Blake left the messenger bag on the ground and went for the bathroom. "Though I will take you up on a chance to cleanup for the day. So long as they are indeed one hundred percent non-used products."

"You betcha!" Yang winked with dual finger guns.

While the Faunus entered the only other room with a door, the blonde boxer rushed for the kitchen sink. She used cold water to cool off the red of her cheeks and the heat in her core. Hearing the door open up a little later, she spun around, all grins once more. Though it was starting to become a natural state in the mysterious girl's presence. Yang couldn't stop the amused glint in her gaze as she noticed the thoughtful frown on the other's.

"How big a fight did you get into last night?" Blake strode up to her bag and made sure it was still secure (and not rifled through). She noticed her scroll blinking but couldn't even look at it in public. Leaving it there, she stood up and stared amused as the brawler grow sheepish.

"It might have… caused a fire? And maybe a police set or two?" Yang bashfully ran a hand through her hair. She half-laughed at the dumbfounded expression on the other teen.

"Of all the…" Blake put a hand to her temple. "And a report of you in a fight would be…"

"Bad. Like, going to… lock down bad." Yang finished the sentence with a bitter tone. She leaned against the counter, arms crossed, as her mind spiraled.

"Right… Alright." The cat girl began to plan an excuse for the wild brawler. But it depended on what the girl answered. "If! If I help provide you an alibi, will you not get into a fight for the next week?" Blake held up a single finger as she questioned, watching the other closely. "At least?" She tacked on amendum after seeing the uncertainty on the blonde teen's face.

The boxer's breathing hitched as she heard the offer. Most wouldn't have bothered to try and help, let alone get her out of trouble she had caused for herself. She felt that earlier spark of hope settling in her center and catch, growing ever so slightly.

"Maaaaybe if I had a certain someone's help, I would be less inclined to fights." Yang tried to plead with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

Blake sighed as she shook her head. "I have prior… commitments… most evenings." She felt her heart sink at the flash of dejection on the the blonde's face but knew she could not back out of White Fang activities. This was already pushing the limits, even if she was enjoying the boxer's company more than she probably should.

"But not all night! Otherwise we wouldn't have seen each other last night." The boxer gestured with a sharp point to the other, hopeful smile back in place. A new, reachable goal was in sight, and she wasn't about to let it go just yet.

"Yang, I finished my- my work by then. And I won't know if it will always be that fast." The Faunus tried to argue, even as a part of her wanted to give in.

"That's why they invented scrolls! We exchange numbers, we call when we're free, we hang out, and you help me not fly off the rails." Undeterred, Yang continued to make light of the situation with another round of finger guns. Anticipating the reality based wit the other teen was partial to, Yang held up a both hands peacefully. "I know, I know, it's more on me to control my temper, not anyone else." She even added some sagely nods to reinforce how much she understood the principal of the matter.

Blake relaxed, wind taken from her sails, at the acknowledgement. Without any remaining arguments, the dark haired girl slumped in place. "Fine. But I can't promise when I am able to help."

When all she got in response was a rapid series of head nods, Blake sighed and reached for her bag. She quickly cleared the notifications and opened the section for new contacts preemptively. The two swapped devices and inputted their information. Yang couldn't help herself and added a note ( _the pretty blonde girl_ ) on her contact page. Blake kept her own contact short, using only her first name and a brief note that 'puns will be punished'. Finished, the duo returned the scrolls to their owners, and both smirked at the messages already there.

Blake shook her head, trying to refocus on her newly formed plan. "Ok. I'll come with you to the CCSP and say that we were hanging out after your service time yesterday."

Yang perked up, hope filling her eyes. "Yeah? Ok. Ok, cool, yeah… So how'd I get these?" She lifted up her arms, showing the fading bruises there as well as on her face.

"You fell." Blake wildly answered, waving a dismissive hand. She put her scroll away while double checking that her weapon was hidden in the depths of the bag once more.

"I fell?" The blonde boxer questioned with a brow raised up. She tried not to stare at the other teen's figure, facing the couch with a light blush.

"I may have pushed you after a particularly bad joke." Blake turned back around and glared teasingly, giving an example by shoving her once more.

It barely moved the taller brawler, but she was offset enough to sway in place. "You don't like my jokes? I'm hurt. Literally!" Yang put a hand to her heart before lifting both forearms with a wide grin.

"Exactly my point." Blake smirked but waved for the brawler to follow. She slung her bag along one shoulder and walked towards the middle of the room. "When do you need to be there? Do we have time for breakfast?"

"I can make us some eggs. I just need to be there by two to work until ten." Yang beamed over her shoulder as she walked to the kitchen area. "But I think you already know that." An eye roll was the only response she got, not that it dissuaded her.

Yang rapidly fried up some scrambled eggs for the two of them, adding a hint of spices to keep it interesting. She filled two plates worth and passed one along to the dark haired teen. Willingly leaving the pan on the stove to be cleaned later, Yang turned around and balked when she realized there was no space for them to eat or set their plates. She rushed over, food still in hand, and pushed the futon bed back upright.

"Ta da!" She half sang, taking a seat on the left side. She patted the other part, inviting her guest to sit down.

The cat girl sat on the other side and dug into the simple meal. She was mildly surprised to find it didn't taste that bad considering the short time it took to make but if one lived long enough on their own, it would make sense after awhile. Once finished, they cleaned what mess they had in the kitchen and living room, putting away the leftover medicine supplies. There wasn't an official place for the medicine but they reused the plastic bags at least to hold it all.

After that, they left for the day, Blake wearing the combat clothes from the night before and bag at her hip and Yang wearing much more relaxed clothing, to show her dedication to NOT getting into a fight. But to be on the safe side, she still wore her bracers. Instead of the brown jacket she had on a white overcoat with gold chains and long pants. Blake wasn't sure about leaving in her combat gear but they wouldn't have time for her to go home and change. Not if they wanted to provide a solid alibi.

Not willing to waste any time, they made their way to the Vale Community Correction Service Facility building. Yolanda was already waiting outside with a clipboard and staring intensely at the time on her scroll. The grownup sensed the two and glanced over. She was quick to see the last bits of bruising on the blonde and glared.

"WHAT have you done, Xiao Long?!" The adult in charge almost growled as she stomped closer. She pointed with her free hand to the remaining scruffs the brawler had gathered. "Does this mean you were involved with the fight at a club last night? We got a police report that claimed you were, but the others wanted to give you a chance. A moment to explain yourself." The woman leaned close, inches from the blonde's face. "But I knew you would still be a problem."

Yang felt heat build up, threatening to close her throat with rage at the admisition of the adult. The edges of her eyes began to shift color as she clenched her fists at her sides. She knew most adults didn't have trust in her, it wasn't very reassuring to hear it. She could practically feel the fuse of her temper get ever shorter. A smooth hand, timid and feather light, closed over top of the gloved one. It distracted the brawler from the adult in her face and gave her a moment to take a calming, if uneven breath.

"Actually, the bruises are my fault." Blake narrowed her gaze at the audacy of the 'guardian' to jump to the worst, even if it was true. She took a half step forward, hand raising up to rest on the blonde's shoulder. "Last night, Yang was with me." She half turned, eyes turning playful. "Someone took her puns a little too far. But I hadn't meant for Yang to fall down the stairs…"

"Luckily, I have a thick skull." Yang stuck out her tongue while knocking on the side of her head. She tried to ignore the heat she felt from where the other teen had her hand. "It was a good shove though, went all the way down." The blonde couldn't help herself and re-enacted the 'scene' with sound comic book sound effects to enhance it, sending one hand riding a steep 'hill'.

Yolanda scowled. She leaned back, staring into the two girls' eyes, trying to spot the lie she could feel was being told to her. But the teens kept up their light hearted act and didn't flinch at the glare. Giving up, the guardian huffed in annoyance, and shifted in place to focus on the 'new' girl.

"I see… And you are…?"

"Blake. I work at the library as well and was getting to know Yang afterwards. I hadn't realized how much she loved puns." The dark haired girl teasingly glared at the boxer. "I may have to rethink our 'friendship'."

Yang jerked back, eyes wide. "What?! No! Don't give up on me yet! I could get better, I 'paw'mise!" She held up her hands clasped together and pleaded with the other girl. She couldn't help the large grin at the pun that still slipped out. It was as Yang beamed that she realized that the cat ears she was using as a pun point, light hearted that it was, were hidden away. Her brows twitched briefly but stayed silent.

Blake groaned, willing with every aspect of herself to not twitch her hidden ears at the pun directed towards her Faunus heritage. She gave the slightly taller teen a shove and silently pleaded for her not to say anything. She had seen the gaze that twitched to her hidden ears and could guess what was the cause. "Thin ice Yang, thin ice."

The guardian let go of her stiffer stance and glare, settling into a more neutral one, at the playful banter the two shared. She glanced between the girls as took silent note of how they were acting together. Friendly, carefree, and open with one another. Maybe not too bad of a change, though it would have to be monitored. She gave an internal huff at the likelihood of the new 'friend' giving the troublemaker an alibi but made no further comment, already having tipped her hand. The grownup made a note on her board of the new development before turning to the raven haired girl.

"If you work at the library, will you be needing a ride today? In fact, why did you decide to join Yang on her trip here?" Yolanda questioned with a sharp gaze. She hoped with a quick enough question, she could trick one of them into a truthful answer.

"If you don't mind, I would appreciate it." Blake nodded once and gave a 'guilty' half grin. "I came by today because Yang was worried she'd be blamed for getting into fights when she promised to be on good behavior." The teen squinted at the brawler, a hidden reminder in her words.

"Yup!" The blonde didn't hesitate to agree with every word her friend stated and slung an arm around the lithe shoulders. "I won't be breaking any promises any time soon." She tried to not think about how close they were, nor the tiny shiver from the dark haired girl, or how she practically could whisper anything into the human ear right by her face.

The grownup pressed her lips together but made no further comment. Together, they waited for the other correctional kids to arrive. They didn't have to wait long as the others were dropped off or walked up on their own. Most seemed to want to comment on the visitor, more than likely to be either sarcastic or rude in general, considering the teens' natures, but a heavy glare from the blonde boxer prevented any comments. The dark haired Faunus noticed but ignored the action, not wanting to deal with bullies while out in the open.

Their usual vehicle wasn't even that much more crowded with one extra person. Yang signaled for Blake to hang back; the two waited for the others to enter first. Blake wasn't sure why at first but then noticed. The rebellious teens went for the last seats, the ones farthest from the guardian in the front passenger place, leaving the middle row to be empty. It also meant that the two girls were the closest to the doors, a reassurance for an escape route for the more anxious Faunus that she hadn't even realized she appreciated until after it became apparent. She gave the blonde brawler a thankful smile and sat on the right side, ignoring the stares that came from behind them.

The ride to the library was short but utterly silent. None of the teens wanted to risk saying anything within easy range of the grownup and the guest wasn't about to break the stillness. When they arrived, the librarians only asked to be informed if Blake would like to change the hours she worked so they would have an accurate list of those working for safety and regulatory reasons.

The rest of the workday went by without incident. The city was still mostly quiet, shocked by the White Fang attack, but it was ever so slowly going back to it's lively state. Except for those who lived in a separate world from those of ordinary citizens. They knew it was only a momentary quiet and took the chance to soak in the peacefulness.

Except for one.

Adam didn't shift from his crouching position, surviving the road below him from seven stories up. After a fruitless search the night before, he had gone for the next likely location of his quarry, waiting across the street from the library with a solid vantage point to watch everything below him. If Blake was ok like she had claimed, which she obviously wasn't since she never went home the previous night (Adam checked), then she would still go to the library to volunteer as part of her 'cover'. And if he didn't find her, he would tear the city apart to teach them all a lesson.

Blake didn't arrive at her usual time of ten. She wasn't there even at noon. It was at two pm that she finally arrived, in a van full of other teenagers. The white vehicle had no markings, though he memorized the license plate to check where it was from and who owned it. She was the first one out but had waited for the others inside to step out as well. If that wasn't bad enough, one of the teenagers who exited was a blonde female human. Who showed signs of having been in a fight recently.

To expand on the issue, he noticed that Blake still wore the battle clothing she had on from the previous night. It wasn't dirty or out of place, but Adam knew that the girl took care to change outfits to help her cover should anyone see her outside of the White Fang activity. She even had her bag with her, which should have still held her personal scroll. But still there was no response to his messages!

The young man growled at the realization and recognition. He watched, furious, as the two girls talked amongst themselves, not in any sort of hurry to get inside. They entered the building side by side, with the blonde bimbo holding the door open for the dark haired teen and not any of the others who also entered. No one made a fuss. No one commented. No one saw how wrong it was but him.

Hands clenched, he stayed there, observing. For a half second, he considered changing spots to try and catch sight of his targets inside through windows, but knew it would be fleeting at best and extra frustrating at worst. So he settled into waiting for the end of their shift instead. Ignoring the need for food, drink or rest, he watched, cataloguing all these aches and pains to be pointed out to the cat Faunus at a later time. It showed his dedication and concern, that he was willing to put aside all else to be sure she was safe.

Hours later, Adam leaned forward, eyes sharp behind his mask, as he watched a bunch of teenagers walk outside once more. It was late at night, the sun having set three hours ago, and the library was to close in the next few minutes. No one else had entered in the last hour, which helped highlight the movement. Whipping out his scroll, he zoomed into take a picture of the blonde when she exited. Seeing her right beside Blake caused Adam to take a deep breath through his nose, chest popping forward. His gaze narrowed as he watched the interaction.

The blonde human walked closely beside the hidden Faunus. She had a hand on the dark haired girl's shoulder as she spoke. Whatever she said caused the Faunus to laugh. The sound was almost lost to the open air but the lad's heightened senses still picked it up. The blonde didn't seem to want to part for the night if how she lingered was any indication. And Blake did nothing to dissuade this notion. She gave the human a playful shove and waved sarcastically goodbye. Whatever she said in a parting fashion caused the blonde human to laugh heartily.

Adam growled softly at the interaction. His sharp sights noticed the lingering gaze of the introding human. The bull Faunus debated for a second whether to go after Blake or this human who thought she had a chance. It was as Blake went around the corner that Adam decided to start with the girl who should have already known her place.

He traveled along the rooftops, following the dark haired teen, trying to find the correct time to confront the girl. No one was out at this hour but he knew timing was key. He had to build the case before laying down the law. Each time he was about to go down, the bookworm received a text on her scroll. A scroll he unhappily noticed she pulled immediately from her bag and yet he still got no answer to his many questions and messages.

Whoever was messaging Blake currently caused her to have an almost permanent smirk as she responded. She looked like a typical teenager, nose in her scroll and barely paying attention to the streets around her. If it were for tiny twitches of her ears, Adam would think she was indeed lost in thought and messaging. But the excitement and happiness on the girl's face didn't waver. It was a combination that Adam couldn't recall seeing in his presence in a long time. He had prided himself on being the one those sorts of smiles belonged to and now he was being replaced with some stranger. The desire to know who caused the reaction built in his chest, tinged with the hot burn of anger.

It was when Blake got a call that the boy made a move. Adam could barely make out what they said but could hear at least the name 'Yang' mentioned by the dark haired girl; a name he didn't recognize. Concern grew at what else Blake might be hiding aside from new 'friends' that she wasn't willing to introduce to the actually important person in her life. Adam was supposed to know everything about Blake. She was his girlfriend. His beloved. A fact he was going to have to remind her.

Even though the main road had decently spaced buildings, some were still closer than one would expect, especially as they left the mainstay of the city. Using the ones that were close enough to one another, the bull Faunus bounced between them, kicking off the brick walls to descend at a decent rate. His landing was the epitome of silence; except that meant that his entrance went unnoticed by the cat Faunus. Growling under his breath, he stomped up towards the girl, hunched forward, and eavesdropped on the last of her conversation.

"...I'm sure you'll recover just fine." Blake didn't realize she wore a large grin at the whining of the other but could feel when it dropped away. Her ears twitched at the sensation of another's presence. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened in alarm. "Uh, I have to go. I won't be able to talk, I'll see you later." The last part was said even quieter but she knew it had to be loud enough for a human to hear it, which meant that Adam definitely heard it.

Adam squinted behind his mask, fighting the harsh sneer that wanted to appear at her words. He continued to step forward, directing their walk to the side alley instead of the main roads. He watched as the girl rapidly closed and stashed away the scroll into her back pocket, looking off to the side as she did so. Adam memorized it's location as he strode well into the girl's personal space and stayed there. The lass still wouldn't lok him in the eye, requiring him to reach out and cupping the side of her face. Rubbing his thumb along her cheek bone, he kept his voice a neutral low.

"You haven't responded to any of my messages."

Blake leaned into the touch even as she closed her eyes. "I wasn't in a place where I could talk communicate freely with anyone in the White Fang." She winced as the grip tightened.

"Except that I am more than just a White Fang member… Aren't I?" Adam's voice took a sharper edge as he allowed his disappointment to show. He leaned closer, mask almost touching the girl's forehead as he half-whispered. "I thought I was important to you…" He then moved back to get a clearer view of any facial twitch she may give.

"You are!" Blake covered the hand on her cheek with one of her own, golden orbs pleading as they sought out Adam's own sights. "I… You mean a great deal to me Adam… I just couldn't contact anyone." Her gaze filtered to the left as her ears tilted down.

Adam's tempter spiked. Had he been anyone else, had he not already witness the facts to cemented the lies, he would have been fooled. But no one could fool him. He could easily tell when the girl was hiding something and this was never more evident than now. "Why do you do this to me Blake? I thought I meant more to you…"

"Adam…" The girl tried to argue but couldn't find any words.

The boy could practically see the swirl of confusion in the amber eyes, another reason he wore a mask. He didn't bother waiting for her to try and think of a defense, stopping her with a succinct, "no."

"No." He continued on, forceful, with a muted heat to his words. "I was worried for you my love… I searched the entire night."

The two teens stopped moving, now a block and a half from the main roads and out of direct line of sight of anyone traveling there. They were facing each other but merely inches from each other. Adam's posture was straight as he bent forward while Blake was starting to slouch down, ears going flat.

"But instead of telling us, telling me, more about where you were, what you were doing, you were being selfish!" Adam followed the girl's faltering steps as he spoke. The cat girl tried backing away but he didn't allow it. "You didn't consider how others would react to your report! You didn't think of how painful it was to ME!"

Adam's voice began to rise as he got more upset. His hand moved from Blake's cheek to grip her upper forearm tightly, pulling her closer. "You only think of yourself! Not of anyone else who have your best interests at heart and who you didn't respond to last night!"

The last part of the bull's rant came out as a roar. Arms shaking in fury, Adam flung Blake to the ground and spun to face the back alley wall, striking the stonework with a fist. "You never think things through." His words were soft, weaving, though just loud enough for the sensitive ears to pick it up.

His words had the desired effect. A rush of pleasure shot through his center when he heard the gentle sobs that broke out behind him. He didn't turn around though, holding his 'pained' position. Blake choked up, hand to her mouth, as she tried to force reassurances through her tears.

"You're right, I'm so sorry, you're right… Please Adam, I didn't mean to…" She inched closer, hands trembling as she reached for the stiff back of the other. "I'm sorry." She only managed to lay one hand on the tense back before the lad reacted.

The red haired boy allowed his smirk to last only a second before turning back around, keeping his arms limply at his sides. His face was now set in a long and dejected frown. He allowed the weight of his anger to pull his limbs and shoulders down, to bring more duress to the girl.

"Why Blake, why did you ignore my messages? Who is the woman who 'saved' you last night?" Adam shifted closer, presence growing darker and foreboding. "If you are so sorry, then you'll answer my questions."

"She's just some-some human who happens to work at the same library I do." Blake shook her head, tears trailing down her face freely. She wrung her hands anxiously, unsure of where to put them. "She recognized me while I was fighting and tried to help. She… She insisted I get looked at for injuries, which is why I couldn't message you. Or anyone."

"And were you? You know we have our own medical facilities, why would you trust some humans to help you?" The boy growled, not bothering to scan the girl's form for these 'injuries'.

He had been watching her close enough to know they weren't an issue. But to top it off, she would have gone for help had it been. But instead, she allowed some human to try and 'help'. As if some random human would know how to help them. And it hadn't been an issue according to her in the first place! A temptation to _make_ it an issue began to rise in the boy. He could feel his fists shaking but he kept them by his sides.

"No, no of course not." Blake denied weakly, exhaustion beginning to set in. A tiny blush spread over her cheeks, something that was almost lost in the darkness and the red tinge that the boy was starting to see. The dark haired teen pressed on, shaking her head as she wiped at the tear tracks. "She-I… I couldn't get away for long enough to look at the messages. Please Adam, I won't do it again…"

"That's right, you won't." The red haired Faunus raised a hand and put it around the back of the girl's neck. "Humans are all liars and can't be trusted. Violent, racist, they only pretend so they look better in front of the world. But they're not." He tightened his hold on the slim neck. It was a position they were both familiar with but with a stronger grip. An almost threatening grip.

"They attack Faunus whenever they think they can get away with it. Sure, one human 'helps', but then they force you to go with them without any consideration for you or who truly care about you." Adam took heavy steps forward, hand still in place. He used it to direct the girl to the other wall, pinned between the wall and himself. When Blake tried to speak, to make any sort of retort, he cut her off harshly along with a squeeze of his hand.

"If they could have been trusted, you would have immediately messaged me! But you didn't." Adam growled as he restated the fact. He moved his face closer, snarl full grown. "Don't waste your time with some human you can't trust enough to tell them about your place in the White Fang. About your place with ME." He continued to order as his hands went from the girl's throat to capture her face, keeping the focus on him where it belonged. "You are VERY important to me. And if they can't understand that, then they aren't worth your time!"

"I want you to promise me that you won't go with her anymore Blake… I want you to promise me you won't hurt me like that again…" He pulled her closer, voice a threatening low. "And you won't let some human prevent you from talking with those who really care about you, right?"

"Y-yes…" Blake whispered raggedly. "I won't talk with her any more than I need to…" Gold amber orbs dipped to the bottom left. "An-and I won't see her outside of work…"

"Good… good… That's my girl." Adam murmured as he collapsed the distance between them, giving her a slow and passionless kiss. He kept his emotions in control while drawing a shiver of feeling from the other teenager. He knew he succeeded as the girl in his arms trembled. Her ears rose up from where they had been flattened though he didn't bother to touch them, focusing to keep his hands around her shoulders instead. It meant he could dictate how long their embrace went.

Once they parted, he kept a hold of the pale girl's hand as they walked deeper into the city. Each were preparing themselves for the night to come as they lead further protests and attacks to show how serious they were. Adam knew things were back in order as they should be, but was already planning on how to enforce this idea with the foolish human who thought she could be close with HIS girlfriend...

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 **Author's Note: Soooooo. Life wanted to just come back and kick me while things were meh. My car needed repair (over $600 worth!) and then decided to break AGAIN afterwards. And I couldn't fix it. So then I had to spend more money I don't have (yay debt! -.-) and hope to recover any sort of amount from selling my now dead car. AND THEN RUDDY ADAM! I had such a hard time with this chapter guys. I really did. And first I thought it was the stress of cars. But then I did a test. Skipped finishing this chapter and went on to the next. Next chapter is coming along great. Flows smoothly, doesn't irritate me, perfectly fine. It's the villains. I HATE villains (especially when they are done right) and I apparently hate writing from their point of view. Bloody ruddy *insert more curses here*...**

 **Anyways, hope you liked the chapter, let me know how I'm doing if you can (I like to know and improve), and I'll see you guys in the next one!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: There's a lot of author's notes, so I'm sticking them on the bottom. Sorry for the incredibly long wait, don't worry, this story isn't dead.**

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"Seriously Ruby, I don't get it." Yang brushed back a lock of her hair as she held the scroll to her ear. "It was like, we were getting close, maybe even friends, but then she pulls back and shuts me out..."

"Like, frozen cold shoulder, or like, more quiet than the last quiet?" Ruby's higher pitch was tempered with a seriousness it usually lacked.

The two sisters went silent while the blonde reflected on the past five days of interactions.

"I guess… More quiet than before? My jokes still get a laugh-"

Ruby snorted in disbelief but didn't speak.

"-She does like them! Kind of. Or whatever. But anyways, we still talk, but like, whatever progress we were getting has stopped, even gone back a few steps." Yang sighed and slumped forward on her futon.

It was late at night and both girls were at their respective beds, done for the day. Except Yang couldn't get her thoughts from the dark haired beauty. Not that she wanted to admit to her baby sister that she may have a crush on a girl she barely knew. The older teenager could sense her sister's confusion through the line.

"Wait, I thought you were the easiest person to get along with?" Ruby's head tilt was practically heard form over the line.

"Well, yeah, but I get the feeling she is more reserved. And… I'm worried I did something to upset her…" Yang's heart squished at the thought and ran through the things that could have caused it.

"It kind of sounds like Blake's really important to you…" The auburn haired girl's voice wavered between impressed and dejected.

Yang was quick to pick up on this and rushed to assure her. "Yeah but you're still important to me too! I came to talk to you about this didn't I?" She stood up and paced in tight lines to use up her sudden spike of energy. "I just…. She's… She's different. Like, a lot different than my usual type of friend."

"Yeah? I guess so, since you haven't asked me about your old friends…" Ruby leaned back on her bed and kicked her legs into the air. "Sooooo… She's special?"

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Like, she's different from everyone else?"

"Well, yeah, I guess."

"Then maybe she's the one to break the curse!" Ruby half shouted, excitement coursing through her veins. She hunkered down a second later, shushing reminding her that she wasn't alone in the dorms.

"What?! Ruby, I'm not under a curse!" Yang's voice also began to raise at this unexpected turn of events. Like usual, her sister managed to surprise her with a seemingly random direction of her thoughts.

"But…" Ruby's voice turned to a playful whine. "It's just like this movie I watched! This girl comes in and helps turn the main protagonist around and-"

"Ruby! Ruby, you know I love you and how much you like these kinds of stories…" Yang sighed as she rubbed her face. "But this isn't like those stories. Also, I'm not under any sort of curse. I just wanted to ask for your thoughts about it."

"Oh. Ok. Uhmmmm…" The young girl mused. "Well, what about asking her to hang out after your work? And either way, ask if there was something wrong?" Ruby showed another rare moment of maturity with her suggestion, surprising the older sibling.

"Yeah. Yeah, ok, sure. I'll… I'll try that." The boxer brushed more of her wild mane back and exhaled gustily. "Thanks sis'. Guess I should just go with the flow and face it head on."

The two sisters finished catching each other up about their week before starting to sign off due to the late hour. By the end, Yang felt much more confident about her plan of action and as soon as she said goodnight to her sister, pulled the phone to the front of her face to type out a message. Selecting the mysterious girl's number, she carefully crafted a simple but intriguing message.

 _[Hey Blake! So, as you know, I'm in tip top shape again! And I figure, it's about time I hit those streets (and some baddies along the way). Want to come with?]_

Pleased with the casualness of the message, Yang noticed the time in the corner of the screen and winced. The secretive girl was likely at whatever extra work she did during the night. Yang breathed out in a rush and leaned back on her couch. She stayed like that for a moment before pulling together her will once more. She went to the map section on her scroll and began making notes, marking the places she's already hit up and circling new locations to check.

By the time midnight rolled around there was still no response from Blake. Yang knew she would have to go to sleep without a response, something that she swore wouldn't ruin her mood at being healed, and set about getting ready for bed. She checked her scroll after every task, but there was still nothing. Totally not sulking, the blonde slept until the next morning, when the sulk was definitely gone. She was not half glaring at anyone who seemed to be having a decent morning and she didn't even hear a word from the guardian about how an attitude can affect one's whole day. The totally not sulk lasted until they reached the library and just inside the hall of the second floor was a dark haired girl waiting nervously.

Trying to play it cool, Yang ran a hand through her golden locks and put her face to a neutral stance. She didn't say anything, slowing down as she came close to the other girl.

Blake quickly closed the distance, brows slightly furrowed. She didn't speak, chewing her lip briefly, before seemingly coming to a decision. She grabbed the boxer's arm and gently pulled her to the corner of their current floor. She weaved between the stacks of books, avoiding the windows, and set the other teen into the corner. The dark haired girl folded her arms and couldn't meet curious lavender eyes.

"Yang, I… I can't help you after work." Blake kept her voice calm but couldn't muster more than a light whisper that was ladened with guilt. Her eyes shot towards the blonde's face before moving away once more.

"Why?" Yang tilted her head, brows furrowing. She also crossed her arms, trying to contain the small amount of disappointment welling inside her chest.

Blake sighed and closed her eyes, already exhausted from the tirade she'd get from Adam if he found out what she was potentially doing. "Because it's not safe and very late at night." She tried to sound like she believed it herself but couldn't come up with enough enthusiasm.

"Seriously?" The brawler shot the girl a disbelieving stare and held it until it was acknowledged. "You go out at night all the time if your messages were true. Before you stopped sending them all of a sudden." Yang held up her collapsed scroll briefly, giving it a tiny shake. She put it away and place both hands on her hips in an attempt of bravo.

"And you'd be with me, so safety in numbers right? Unless you're saying I'm a danger to your health?" Yang put both arms behind her head and winked. She tried to keep her smile in place even as her confidence wavered.

"Yes Yang, your puns are especially bad for my health." Blake deadpanned before cracking a tiny smirk. She couldn't help herself, it was a moment of levity that was a bright spot in her dark lifestyle.

Yang felt a flush of cooling relief at getting a reaction from her bad jokes. "Yet another powerful blow from the mysterious beauty." The 'actress' put a hand over her heart, flinging her head back with closed eyes. When she heard a soft chuckle, Yang dropped the act and took a more serious expression, hands behind her back.

Blake noticed the shift in tone and the tiny smirk dropped away as she braced for another plea. Her heart pinched at the thought of having to turn down someone that was growing close to a friend.

"But seriously. You can't help me or like, won't help? I do need all the help I can get after all." Yang asked, head tilted down to keep eye contact with the bookworm. She perked up, recalling what her sister said and the potential joke lure it presented. She leaned close and whispered conspiratorially, eyes shifting side to side. "I am under a curse after all…" A thrill of joy shot through the blonde at the amused twinkle in the other's gaze.

The gold orbs lit up before narrowing playfully. Blake leaned close, arms also behind her back. "Oh? And what is this curse pray tell and how does one break it?" The girl practically purred, intrigued by the ploy. Her more realistic mindset was racing with potential ideas of the 'curse', as there wasn't actually magic in the world.

"Well, I'm cursed to be alone and angry all the time as the Bastard Beast of Beacon." Yang tried to play off her words but knew she was risking being hurt with how truthful they were.

While the hidden Faunus was going to say something about Yang's temper, hearing the blonde put herself down sank the teasing mood Blake was in. She reached out and hesitantly put a hand on the other's shoulder.

"And I did promise to help… Alright. I'll go with you tonight after my… other work."

Her words worked immediately in cheering up the other. Yang straightened up and gave a little hop. Grin wide, she double fist pumped. "Yesss! You won't regret it!" She pointed with a wink.

Blake's stance relaxed with an amused smile. "I don't know. Depends on how many so called 'jokes' I'm subjected to."

Yang's response was to stick her tongue out but 'zipped' her lip shut. Her eyes widened and she tried to talk but kept her mouth 'closed'. After a few seconds of incoherent mumbles, Blake rolled her eyes and acted out unzipping the blonde.

"Thanks! Cat had my tongue." Yang gave a jaunty wink at the joke.

The disguised Faunus groaned and pretended to seal the other's mouth once again.

"Mhmm, hmmph, hmph!" Yang threw up her hands as she went back to the muffled speaking.

Blake didn't respond and turned away, wiping her hand on her thigh.

They went back to how they were before, making jokes and quips back and forth, until the end of the day arrived. While Yang knew Blake's life and time was her own, it almost felt personal when the dark haired teen rushed out of the building thirty minutes before close. Nothing was said of why and Blake disappeared once out the doors. The one change was she did seek out the blonde to give a tiny farewell.

"Ooooo, I get an actual goodnight this time?" Yang tried to hide her true feelings of the previous nights with a joke and a half grin. It didn't work perfectly if the regret in golden amber was any indication.

"I… There's someone picking me up and I didn't want to make them wait for long." Blake fidgeted in place, dropping her gaze. "I… I'm sorry for… vanishing on you. Before. I didn't want to but Ad-... a friend was worried since I got into that fight." The Faunus rubbed her upper arm that still had bruises from where Adam had gripped it. He swore he didn't mean it but that has been an accusation that was becoming more common.

Yang narrowed her eyes at the action. Tempted to check, she left it alone, unwilling to draw attention while at work. "Oh, so, like a friend friend or like… significant other friend?" The brawler went for nonchalance, stuffing her hands into her pant pockets.

Blake kept her eyes trained away. "Significant other friend… He's… protective."

Yang grunted in half agreement while she analyzed how the other girl spoke. "Well, hope he won't mind if I borrow you for some as of yet unknown and unspoken detective skills." She watched the next reaction closely and felt unease churn in her gut.

Blake winced at the phrasing and hunched lower in place. The blonde could practically see the adorable cat ears flatten under the bow they were hidden within. She wasn't too sure about this fellow if this was the reaction. Unwilling to upset Blake further, Yang threw an arm around her shoulders gave her a little shake.

"Hey, it'll be ok. I won't say anything that would get you in trouble and we'll keep a low profile tonight for sure, ok?" Yang beamed at the girl, craning her head to see if her assurances were successful. "No one would know that we were out."

Blake was skeptical the action and over bright smile did bring out a tiny grin of her own in response. The boxer was surprising hopeful at times. I wonder if she was like that all the time before her expulsion. The Faunus girl mused to herself as she went for the exit after waving goodbye. When she walked outside, she sensed her boyfriend's presence as he dropped down to travel with her.

Together they went for their nightly mission.

Yang was tempted to peek outside and see this 'boyfriend' of Blake's. Except there was a voice in the back of her mind chiding her for being jealous and suggested caution. It wouldn't do to make things worse for the hidden Faunus. The blonde paused pushing the returns back to the main desk. Wait, does this boyfriend know she's a Faunus…? Why hide it? So many mysteries! Yang's face slowly broke into a wide grin. More to talk about tonight!

Resuming her task, the girl hummed to herself and didn't pay attention to their watcher who stood by the front door. The adult seemed suspicious of how Yang was acting after one of the volunteers left but didn't comment as it didn't seem to affect the girl negatively. Yang wouldn't have cared either way, she was already excited for what the night might hold. If nothing else, they were in for an interesting walk as they searched for the Naughts. So long as they were the ones in the know, then that's who they would see. Hopefully. But if they couldn't… Well, hopefully they enjoyed a peaceful talk.

Yang went straight home, unwilling to risk getting into trouble before starting their little hang out. She tried to sit on the couch and found her right knee bouncing out a steady rate. It could almost rival her sister's speeds. Her scroll was set beside her, out of twitchy grips.

Unable to settle, the girl went for a reflection of where the nerves came from. What she found it stemmed from having to be near the young woman in a setting outside of their 'work'. Like it was a rare chance to really shine and show who she used to be and could be.

The sound of her scroll receiving a call jerked the blonde from her musings. She lunged for it and tried steadying her heart rate before answering, double checking who was calling before giving out a breathless greeting.

"H-hey Blake! You good to go?" Yang was practically out her door as she spoke, having been waiting for this moment all evening. The other girl's uncertainty caused her to slow briefly.

"Well, it's past midnight. Did you still want to?"

"You bet! All the informants would be either blazed or drunk by now, making it much easier to ask questions." Even though no one else was there, Yang winked. She didn't push, on edge and worried about coming on too strongly.

"Oh, ok. I'll meet you at the Cafe of the Night. It's at the edge of the club area." Blake huffed lightly but pressed on, suggesting a neutral location for them both. Adam had only just left from watching her apartment and she didn't want to risk someone else finding them at her residence.

Yang didn't understand at first but was willing to try. Especially if it meant moving around. "Yeah, sure thing. I'll be there before you know it." She exited the apartment and made sure to lock after herself this time.

"I don't know, I'm pretty sure half the neighborhood can hear you walk around." Blake teased with a small smile, imagining the mock hurt of the other. She couldn't help herself as she triple checked the outside of her apartment building for watchers. Between the two of them, she lived further away but wasn't willing to lose this impromptu challenge of who would arrive first.

Yang put a hand to her chest, a pained expression on her face, as she gasped. "I'm hurt! I can be sneaky if I need to be." Yang could tell by the huff of laughter that the other woman didn't agree and that she was unlikely to prove it on the phone. "How was your super secret stuff?" She chuckled at the quiet sputter on the other end. "Ah, another one of those 'if I tell you, I'll have to kill you' things huh? Good thing I'm irresistible."

"No Yang, it's not that classified. It's the kind where we make you just 'disappear'." Blake kept her tone teasing even as she allowed a hint of how dangerous her world was currently. It was a coward's test to the metal of her potential friend even as she hoped that it wouldn't be taken seriously. The light laughter on the other line sent a spark through her chest. Of which she wasn't sure nor wanted to think about.

"Ok. Well, I swear I'm a good secret keeper. Just ask my sister! Though it'd be a shame to risk our friendship just because I'm a little curious cat." Yang allowed the last word to be on an upstroke, going for a different type of joke while disguising the Faunus' words. It may have been in jest, there was an undercurrent she couldn't pin down.

But it was always easier to judge this sort of thing in person. So it was with a hidden rapid step that she continued to the Cafe. The two kept up their chatter until the last moment, passing more jokes and light teasing. As Yang turned the last corner, she saw a black haired bow wearing girl sitting outside the cafe, cup in hand. Hoping to catch her unaware, Yang slowed her steps and tried to tiptoe to the girl.

Blake twisted in her seat with a half smirk at the last second, cup going to cover it as she raised a single brow. Yang dropped her hands with a sigh and hung up the phone with a thumb press.

"Dang. Guess I need some super secret spy training to sneak up on you." Yang pulled out a chair across the table, joining the silent girl.

Blake shook her head playfully. "That would take too long, especially if we only meet after my other work." She gave the boxer a drool stare. "You would also need extra work."

"Ouch. Hard hitting once more!" Yang held a hand to her chest and leaned back in pretend pain. She dropped the act and pointed at the drink in the other teen's hand. "Should I get a cup as well or are we on the move?"

Blake shook her head and moved to stand. "Not at all, unless you want to. Where are we going anyways?"

"Right, right… Well, we're looking for the 'Man who has Naught'. His group keep up with all the latest information." Yang rose back up and waved for the other teenager to follow along. "They have a circle with a line through it on their hands." She waved her hand, showing the backside. "I need to ask them about… something. Important to me."

Blake didn't comment on the vagueness of their 'mission'. She watched the boxer, trying to analyze her body language. What she found was this VERY important to the golden haired girl and was what led to her strong desire to search during the night. But since she was also hiding her own true work, she wasn't about to call Yang out on it. Instead, she nodded while filing the information away for later use. They began to walk into the club distract, Yang in the lead.

"Will there be a sign then, outside the clubs?" Blake checked as she matched her pace to the causal steps of the brawler.

"Yup. That zero thing probably. Like how these are signed." Yang jerked a thumb to a side alley where graffiti sprawled on the side of one night club.

They eyed the marks but didn't see this 'Naught' symbol. Scan done, the two girls walked leisurely down the street, ignoring drunken leers sent their way.

"If we don't find this sign, do you have a backup plan?" Blake questioned as her eyes continued to search.

"Well, if we don't see anything in an hour, we could try asking in random clubs." Yang shrugged. She put her hands back behind her head, trying not to stare at her walking companion. "I like going with the flow."

The cat teen hummed thoughtfully at the disclosure. They fell silent, unsure of what to say next. Except that Yang didn't like silence, not when there was a mystery to solve. She eyed the girl as she spoke up, arms dropping down to swing by her sides.

"So, do you know the area?"

"No. Don't usually have a reason to be here." Blake shrugged, eyeing the sides of buildings for the 'sign'. Her cat ears hurt from the deep base of club music but were hidden away, making it difficult to soothe them.

"Ah, ok. So no wild nights for you huh? Probably wildest time you've had was to stay up all night with one of those risque books eh?" Yang nudged the other, playfully winking as she spoke. The joke did get a light blush from the other but Blake managed to keep her wits about her.

"Oh no, my secret has been discovered. Whatever shall I do?" She tried not to think about the latest Ninja of Love when it did get a little steamy. Pretending to be a reclusive life helped her cover however so she didn't make too large a fuss about it.

The boxer smirked, trying to spot a tell. Except the Faunus girl had a straight poker face. Yang pursed her lips but let it go. "Simple. Tell me where you find them so I can read them too." Her face broke out into a smirk when the other teenager began to blush and continued with another wink. "Always looking to add spice to my life."

Blake could tell that she wouldn't win the argument and rolled her head playfully. Instead, she took a sip of her tea and hummed appreciatively at the taste, giving her a chance to calm down from their current topic. She cast her gaze around, spotting more graffiti along the walls and scanned the images. There was no symbols they were hoping for on this block. She couldn't help but notice how the blonde was barely holding in what was probably an abundance of questions and comments. Except that she did hold back, which was surprising, since she seemed to enjoy talking when they were in a library. Probably for the sheer irony of it if nothing else.

Yang continued to mentally argue with herself as they walked quietly down the street. She split half her focus on the clubs around them and the girl beside her. The others on the street were well into a drunken state and wobbled pasted. Letchers tried to gain the two women's attention but with both girls silent, they quickly moved on. Until the duo came across some who didn't.

A trio of men, bulky from working out with shirts to show it off, sidled up to the teenagers. They were in their mid twenties, still in that party age when they thought they could do as they pleased, as evident by the confident smirks they wore as they looked the two girls over. One went to stand by Yang's right, another went to stand by Blake's left, while the remaining one stood between the girls.

"Hey there girlies… You having fun…?" The man by Blake's side asked as he tried to brush his hand through the dark hair. Blake shifted away, eyes narrowing as she looked between the men.

"Want to have more fun with us…?" The man in front proposed, arms crossed. He leaned forward, eyeing both girls, his gaze lingering on specific areas.

Yang was unimpressed by the attempts. When the one who was by her shoulder also moved on to try and touch her hair she glared, eyes turning red. "No, I think we're good without the help. Unless you happen to know the ones who have Naught?" She crossed her own arms, gaze flicking towards the center man before moving to follow those on either side.

"Who?" The man in the center asked with a confused scrunch of his face. His friends weren't as focused.

While Blake dodged another attempted touch, Yang's eyes burned as she too moved away from a pawing hand. However she wasn't as kind as the dark haired woman and threw out a right jab as she moved. The drunkard, reflects slow and dazed, couldn't stop the blow. It landed square on, sending him reeling back with a stumble. His hand shot up to touch the now bloody nose.

His friends jerked back with a half shout of alarm.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Oy! Watch it blondie!"

Yang whipped around and turned her fiery red gaze to the others. The men weren't the only ones to flinch, though the girl didn't notice Blake's reaction. With a jerk of her wrists, releasing the two gauntlets and setting a charge in the barrel, she twisted to stare down the others.

"What?! Can't take a hint?" Yang took a half step forward, jutting out a shoulder in challenge. "How about now? You catching the hint now?"

The sight of the enraged girl gave the letches but a moment of pause. Roaring incoherently, all three charged forward, bare fists raised, ignoring the dark haired girl entirely. Yang squinted dismissively at the sloppy attack and leaned backwards out of the reach of the swings. As they reached their zenith of over extension, she dove forward, protected fists up by her jaw. Using a quick one two punch led by her left fist followed by her right, she went for the weakened man first, catching his nose again and then his left cheek as he winced from the pain. He spun to the ground, slumping there with a whimper.

The boxer ducked beneath two more weak thrusts and focused on the next lackey. He was quickly taken out with a strong right as Yang went from bent to the right to standing upright once more. A small sheen of light seemed to float off her hands as they flew into their targets.

A distant call pulled her attention. It sounded feminine and upset. But the last letcher ran forward with a snarl, begging for a beat down. Yang swung a foot out, round housing to her right as she build momentum for her left fist's strike. As it landed, before he could fully fly back from the hit, she sent her right as a final greeting, changing his direction at the last second and sending him careening into the second lackey who was still standing in a sense.

Before another moment went by, a pair of hands, small, feather light, and calloused by weapon work gripped Yang's, stalling their movement. Crimson orbs snapped to the person on her right and found a pair of sad golden eyes.

"Yang, stop! They aren't a problem anymore." Blake stated firmly with a hint of pleading in her voice. Her grip was steady however and surprisingly strong, able to hold back the blonde's arm. "They don't even have auras."

Yang was breathing heavily, her eyes slowly losing their red hue, as she looked at the girl holding her back. "Yeah, I could tell. It was just a few punches to teach them a lesson." She shrugged, though not enough to pull her hand out of the other's hold.

"That wasn't necessary! You didn't have to break their noses, or send them flying." Blake changed her grip and started to pull the ex-student down the street. "They didn't need those sorts of lessons Yang. This is the sort of thing that got you into trouble in the first place!"

Yang exhaled gustily, mildly annoyed. "Come on, as if you didn't want to take a swing at them. Now they won't try to force themselves on other women or those weaker than them." She didn't fight the pull, though she continued to work at evening out her breathe.

"Violence isn't the answer!" Blake could tell her ears were trying to flatten under the bow she wore. "It shouldn't be the answer…"

"Oh come oooonnn…" Yang rolled her head as the last of her anger bleed off as they walked. She tried to look at club walls as they speed past. "Hey, hey, we have to slow down some, we're missing some club spots!"

The Faunus did shift gears but she began to shake her head determinedly. "Yang, if you pick any more fights while I'm trying to help you, I won't help you anymore." She made sure to keep eye contact as she gave her ultimatum. "You said you wanted to be better than this. So prove it."

Yang was going to play it off but saw the stern and sombre tones in the warm amber. She opened her mouth to respond but found her words were stuck in a lump in her throat. She tried to discreetly clear it but her response still came out shaky.

"Y-yeah… Yeah. Alright." Finally agreeing, Yang dropped her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sorry Blake…"

Seeing the sincerity in lilac orbs, Blake relaxed. She wore a small forgiving smile as she tugged at the hand she still seemed to be holding. "I did want to punch them. But we have got to work on your self control." She dropped the smile at the reminder of violence and the other person in her life who took it too far.

"Yes ma'am…" Yang answered quietly, head down.

"Seriously. I would have thought you were used to being hit on by drunks if you were constantly checking clubs for information." Blake shook her head as she led the way along the mildly busy streets of clubs.

"Yes ma'am…" Yang said again, her voice a careful low neutral. She fought against cracking a grin at her ploy by keeping her face down.

"Yang? Are you ok?" The dark haired girl scrunched her face in confusion at the submissive tone and glanced over her shoulder, trying to read her body language.

"Yes ma'am…" The careful false downtrodden tone was starting to crack but Yang hoped for another two responses before giving into the laughter growing in her center.

"...Are you trying to be funny?"

"Yes ma'am." Yang felt it was time to raise her head, displaying the wide smile resting there. She was surprised to be roughly shoved by the other as she started to giggle.

"Honestly! I was worried for a moment. You're ridiculous." Blake muttered as she too fought a relieved smile and laugh. "Behave."

"I'll try to. Promise." Yang held a hand to her chest while properly grabbing the other girl's as they refocused on their search. "I'll try."

* * *

 **A/N:So, back when I was writing this more often, I thought life couldn't get any more hectic. That with owning my own small business and working a second job was the limit. NOPE. I've had to move back with family as my elderly mom goes through loads of surgeries and needs my help a ton more. On top of two other jobs and trying to do hobbies like this. Oh and finding two kittens (not related and several months apart) who needed rescuing and are now in my care even though I was trying to avoid owning pets again. I even had most of this chapter done but I couldn't finish it. As I've grown used to my new routine, I found time to go back over the whole chapter and finish it. It's just been crazy with my life. Go figure.**

 **I do worry that we won't get a Volume 8 which would stink since Volume 7 is going oh so well but please no spoilers until at least a month after it's all done for anyone who's not seen it yet (not me, I've been keeping up). Thanks for everyone who's been keeping up with this and I'll try to get another chapter done soon!**


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